Hyrule Warriors Warped
by HolyMaiden24
Summary: Zelda is the hero, Lana and Cia are gender swapped, 'unique' companions return, familiar faces that didn't originally appear in the game show up, sanity is tested- that's JUST the beginning of this somewhat twisted version of the series' greatest crossover. COMPLETE! FINALLY!
1. The Prince and the trainee

I'm posting this a little earlier than I mean to but... HERE IT IS!

Before you read this fan fic, note that it comes after Skyward Swaps and Twilight Twists. The spoilers for TT are going to be pretty heavy while the ones for SS varies.

In addition, this fan fic will be completely in third person perspective- too much will go on to allow first person perspective this time.

Please note that I made a few changes, in addition to the addition of the usage of characters who weren't originally in the game. Hyrule Warriors is a celebration of what we love, and I wanted to expand upon it. In fact, some of the faces that will show up were part of the requests of my long-time readers, and I'm going to try to balance out what I can.

Proxi is still in this, but she's a boy now. (I implied the same exact thing for Navi, so...)

With the exception of the beginning, this isn't my favorite chapter to write, so I apologize if it drags I'll be right at home in the next one.

Finally, since Zelda sort of has Link's move set in this fic, Link has Young Link/Fierce Deity's move set, if that helps anyone understand what is going on.

* * *

Chapter 1: The prince and the trainee

Mid-morning had fallen across Hyrule Castle and the surrounding Castle Town. In olden days, the town was on the outskirts of the castle, but it had now grown large enough that it could almost be considered a city.

Many townsfolk went about their day- most eagerly chattered about the return of the prince (who was returning from a journey from across the sea), while others went shopping, played, or enjoyed the sights of the grand town, but one in particular was in a hurry to get to the castle.

"Excuse me! Pardon me!" A young female knight in training dashed across town as fast as she could. With her long blonde hair flying behind her, she quickly glanced up to the castle as she passed two men who were juggling.

"They said the prince was on a diplomatic mission to Holodrum!" A red shirted man spoke. "Possibly to strengthen the friendship with the governor, no doubt!"

"I heard he went to take care of some nefarious scheme!" argued back.

The young trainee gritted her teeth as she pulled a wallet out and took out a blue rupee as she approached an apple stall. To the amazement of the seller, she slammed the rupee down and snatched an apple before repeating a similar process with a couple of muffins.

"Ocarinas!" A merchant by a display of instruments called out as he held up a blue ocarina. "Made in the image of the fabled ocarina of time! Play a note and perhaps something magical will happen!"

The young knight let out a snort as she passed the merchant by and hurried on.

Meanwhile, a group of children were gathered around an eccentric looking man who was putting on a picture show for them- he had a set of slides already in a box and would gradually pull them out. The current one displayed a beautiful warrior, who curtseyed to a tall ominous looking figure, with a strange circular device between them.

"And so!" The man's already wide grin grew an inch. "To the hero's surprise, the twili renegade revealed that he was none other then the King of the Twilight realm!"

The unsuspecting children let out a gasp of delight and shock, while the others who long suspected either rolled their eyes or nodded.

"Then he's the king of the in-between!" A young girl realized out loud.

"Mr. Mask Salesman?" A young boy timidly spoke. "If they fixed the mirror- then does that means the twili could come into our world?"

The Happy Mask Salesman looked up to see the young trainee running across the street. "Perhaps so, children." He gave them a small, secretive smile. "They might come sooner than you think."

The trainee darted past groups of people and ducked under a long plank of wood that was being carried by a couple of carpenters, and continued heading towards the castle.

" _Oh youth_ ," A choir from the temple were singing by the fountain for the people, and in hopes of greeting the prince. " _guided by the servant, unite earth and sky, and bring light to the land._ "

As the trainee came closer and heard them sing, she felt a longing in her heart to join the choir and sing the fabled ancient ballad. It did not help when a young alto saw the knight and began to call for her.

"Hey, Zelda, why don't you quit your training and come back!" She pleaded. "We miss your voice!"

"I'll talk later!" Zelda called back as she rushed as fast as she could, but just as she turned her head away from the choir, she almost ran into someone, who was as in much of a hurry as she was.

"Ah!" The trainee stopped and immediately recognized the younger girl (who looked to be in her mid-teens) when she briefly came to a stop. "Sorry your highness!" She quickly apologized as the two girls immediately ran past each other, though she saw that Impa- the Hyrulean General- was chasing after the young girl.

"Is that the princess?!" A young boy gasped as the girl kept running. She was garbed in a regal, yet still modest sky knee length blue dress, with a lovely floral print at the helm, and which split in half at the center to allow a pinkish maroon banner with an embroidery of Hyrule's crest. With dark blue eyes, blonde hair in stylish pigtails and a modest tiara, she almost looked exactly like a feminine version of her brother.

At the entrance to the town, everyone was in an uproar and began to start hollering in excitement. The reason being that a young man came walking though the open entrance: the prince of Hyrule.

"Welcome back, your highness!"

"It's good to have you back!"

"I heard the princess was anxious for your return!"

The young man let out an amused chuckle: dressed in a forest green tunic, with slight gold trimming, unique chest armor and gauntlets, and a long blue scarf, he came across as humble, but the well known helix sword at his back, the way he held himself, and the confident look in his eyes made it clear that he was indeed the prince of Hyrule.

That was, of course, in contrast to his companion behind him who looked at the townsfolk with both nervousness, and great relief for being amongst civilization (and possibly near Telma's Bar.)

"Does it ever bother you when so many people come out to meet you?" The man's green, sunken eyes glanced back to Link. "I mean, you never know who could try to- I don't know- rob you while you do the meet and greet thing?!"

Link laughed at the man as he waved to the townsfolk. "Linebeck, I never realized you cared that much about my wallet. Besides-" Link turned to shot him a grin. "-If anything happens, I'll just chase them down!"

"Like those squid monsters earlier this morning?" Linebeck bitterly recalled the memory.

"They were annoying."

"The group of monsters that ambushed us in the woods?!"

"You know they ambushed that performing troupe." Link reminded him. "Besides- with my skills, there's nothing I can't handle!"

Linebeck sighed. "Way to be confident, kid."

"I'm almost nineteen!" Link shot at him. "You've been calling me that since I was twelve!"

Within almost five minutes of walking through the town (and greeting the townsfolk) Link heard the familiar cry of a young girl, and looked ahead to see many people immediately part ways to allow the princess to rush on ahead.

"BROTHERRRRRR!"

Immediately, Link beamed and raced towards the girl, with his arms thrown out. The girl did the exact same thing and the two almost crashed into each other when they hugged.

"You're finally back!" Aryll cheered as she tightened her embrace around her brother. "You took long enough! I ended up making something for you, even though I swore I'd never do needlework!"

"Sorry!" Link laughed in apology as he let go of Aryll. He looked up to see that General Impa had finally come to a stop and she gave him a welcoming smile and a nod of gratitude that he made it back to Hyrule.

"Impa." Link went over to Impa as Aryll walked to an out of breath and about ready to collapse Linebeck, to whom she greeted with a chipper "Hello Mr. Linebeck!"

"I trust the visit to Holodrum went well." Impa asked as she held a hand out for Link, who promptly shook it.

"The governor was disappointed that Uncle couldn't come, and there were some monsters, but I was actually able to take care of it." Link kindly replied. "The seasonal banquet was fun, until his daughter started asking if I was going to find any potential brides."

-*later*-

"You're late." Lady Ashei coldly, curtly told Zelda, whose face was flushed, her apple was in her mouth, and the muffins were stuffed into her wallet. To make matters worse, she was in front of almost all the trainees who looked on in both sympathy and amusement.

Zelda let out a groan and took the apple out of her mouth as Lady Ashei continued. "In the Hyrulean army, we don't tolerate tardiness, for it makes the difference between victory and loss. Moreover, if you wanted food so badly, you should have bought some during a time that wasn't going to interfere with your duties, yeah? Is that clear?"

"Yes Lady Ashei!" Zelda quickly saluted to the captain (who was more than five or seven years older than her.)

"Not clear enough." Ashei spoke. "Maybe some time for setting up practice dummies will teach you a lesson." She then turned around to the rest. "Alright you lot- get ready in five minutes!"

"Yes Lady Ashei!" They all saluted, as Zelda crept away from the rest of them and looked around until she spotted a certain large, red haired man.

"Not fun being late, is it Zel?" He gave her a cheeky grin.

"Not now Groose!" Zelda scowled while walking to him, but she pulled out one of the muffins and gave it to him: it was payment for a debt. "See how much trouble you landed me in?!"

"Ah, thanks!" The knight cheered as he bit into the muffin. "'Hank yoo!" He tried to speak through the muffin.

"Your welcome." Zelda smiled.

-*later*-

"Da, da, dah dahhhhhh!" Aryll grinned and cheered as she held a green cap out for Link, after accepting a medium sized parcel from him. "I made it to be just like the ones the knights of Skyloft wore!"

Link smiled as he accepted the cap and immediately put it on. He quickly saw that Impa was coming down the hallway, and turned to the general. "Impa." He greeted her, and was about to speak, when he noticed that Impa looked a little concerned.

"Could you care to explain what your traveling companion meant about you having nightmares?" She asked Link.

Aryll shot Link a worried look as Link's face slightly paled. "It- it's nothing." Link shifted his gaze, but Impa pressed on.

"By the sound of things, it was frequent- and since your family has had a history of prophetic dreams, is it by any chance the one you told me about?"

"I- I don't know." Link admitted with a shrug. "Something dark covered Hyrule, and swallowed me up... And then I started to get an uneasy feeling during the trip back to Hyrule, like something is going to happen at any moment."

Impa frowned and her eyes grew serious. "It could be an omen." She glanced out to the window. "We must find the reborn spirit of the hero."

"But how can you be sure she's alive in our time?" Aryll nervously asked. Link turned to her. "Aryll, don't you have a lesson to attend?" He asked. "You know _he_ won't like it if you're late."

Aryll's eyebrows shot up in realization and she quickly dashed down the hallway.

"She's right though." Impa spoke. "As much as I hate to admit it, we don't know where the hero is."

-The training grounds-

As Link and Impa crossed over one of the many pathways around the castle, Link briefly looked to see the knights in training go about their lessons- they all seemed in good form, by the look of things.

"We will find no fully-fledged heroes here." Impa told Link. "We'd be wiser looking elsewhere."

Link was about to look away, when something- be it instinct, luck, or fate- caught his eye and walked over to look over the stone wall to see a one on one duel between two trainees, with an instructor and several trainees eagerly looking on.

One of the trainees was without a helmet and her hair was loosely bound as she held a practice sword and shield. The other held a spear and charged at her, but she then blocked it with her shield and, after a moment's pause, the blonde dodged the swing of the spear. In perfect retaliation, she preformed a helm splitter onto the trainee's helmet.

The defeated trainee fell to the ground and the others cheered as the girl watched her victory, before putting her sword and shield away. As if sensing the prince was watching, she turned to face him.

Link was impressed with her skill, but during that time he felt himself be drawn to that girl, as if by a thread- something told him that she was special.

However, when he saw her face, he was taken by surprise because (although it was too far away to tell) she was rather beautiful. Why on earth such a face fit for a goddess or a princess was amongst the trainees was beyond him, but when her eyes met his, he felt a strange sort of certainty- a confidence.

He then knew exactly who the hero was- it was the girl. He didn't know why, but somehow he could sense it.

As for Zelda- the mystery girl in question- she was surprised to see the prince in person, but she too felt the strange connection he did.

Before Link could ask Impa about the mystery girl, a soldier came rushing towards them, and just after they turned, he was immediately at his knees- whatever he had to say, it was urgent.

"Your highness!" He panted. "A horde of monsters is marching toward Hyrule Castle!"

Neither the prince, nor the general wasted any time. "Impa, prepare the troops for battle!" Link commanded. "I'll join them shortly!"

Impa nodded and she and the soldier rushed ahead. Link spared the mystery girl one final glance, before he could go.

Meanwhile, Zelda- who shared this glance with the prince- continued to look on, until a couple of female trainees spoke.

"Isn't that the prince?" One girl excitedly spoke. "He's so handsome!" She sighed.

"What's he wasting his time with us for?" the less excited, more skeptical one spoke.

WIth slight regret, Link went after Impa, but he figured that he would have time later to seek out the mystery girl.

As for Zelda, it was charming to think that he was looking at her, but she wasn't a fool: she didn't believe what she felt for the prince in that moment was 'love at first sight.'

In a short amount of time, the entire castle and the town was alerted and all the citizens either took cover or hurried out as fast as they could. It wasn't long until a good sized army waited at the front of the gates as Impa and Link gazed at their coming opponents. As if through a sign, the sky began to darken and turn grey, and a large army in the distance began to approach the castle.

"Bokoblins, stall children, lizafos..." Link identified the army, until he saw their leaders. One was a red armor cladded knight with a spear and a helmet in the shape of a certain famous dragon: Link immediately knew who this was, having met the knight many times before. The other reminded him of a poe, draped in purple and jewelry like some sort of gypsy, but there was something more... _sinister_ about this one.

This was not going to be an easy battle.

-*a little later on*-

"So I guess we just wait to hear what happened?" a trio of trainees waited near an entry point to the castle. One of them was resting against a column, until they noticed Zelda approaching and stood up.

"Hey Zel!" He called out to her. "What d' you think you're doing with that sword?"

Zelda briefly looked at them as they all saw that she had a sword and shield- real ones, like the kind the knights owned.

"I'm going to help!" She shot them a grin as she swung the sword out. "If you lot want to join me, be my guest!" She then rushed ahead, to their complete surprise.

The truth was, Zelda was a little afraid of facing whatever was outside- sure, her father had initially taught her how to fight (being a former knight himself.) but this was not a pathway she had envisioned for herself. Once upon a time, Zelda entertained the idea of being just like the past heroes of legends, and she eagerly devoured their stories in delight, but she thought she would be an explorer, and possibly a musician and sing ballads and melodies of the past and of her own makings.

But this was an era in which the need for heroes was dwindling, and was replaced with armies. Dreams and fancies were dying away as the world expanded and stones were unturned. The education she initially received was better to pass on, rather than live out and experience, when opportunity (and rupees) were scarce, and she had to become of some sort of larger unit. She had to put what she knew towards aiding the kingdom in a different way.

And yet, something had awakened in her- as if something was going to happen- and when the horde was announced, she felt the need to act cry out within her soul. She felt a desire to take action- even though she was a trainee, she wasn't happy waiting for assurance or safety anymore.

And so, having no idea what fate had intended for her, or the faces her future would reveal to her, Zelda took up arms and rushed into the fray.

-Stage one-

Zelda passed through the gates and as she saw a horde of bokoblins head towards her, she took her sword out.

"You aren't going to enter the castle!" She determinedly cried out and proceeded to swing her blade through them. She made sure to take out as many as possible and it wasn't until there were so few left that she nodded and hurried to join what appeared to be Impa, who was in the midst of fighting her own batch of monsters.

"Where did these monsters come from?!" Impa wondered as she swung the biggoron's sword against the bokoblins. She growled in frustration. "We can't get to the prince with those boulders in the way." She referred to an obstacle that wasn't too far away, and just happened to block an entrance to a keep.

"Lady Impa!" Zelda called out as she swung the blade through hordes of bokoblins. "Permit me to assist you!"

"What's this?" Impa then noticed the girl and her uniform. "A new recruit?" Despite that she wanted to tell the girl to leave, it was quickly clear that the girl could more than hold her own, despite her ranking. With the girl's added contribution, the two and a small group of knights were able to fend off the bokoblins and Impa was able to fend off enough monsters that she was given a moment to watch the trainee- the girl had managed to clear a number of monsters with surprising ease, that it took the general by surprise.

"Who is this girl?" Impa wondered.

"Hah!" Zelda let out a sound as another bokoblin fell to her blade, and it was at that point she heard a cry for help.

"Someone! Help! I'm too little to fight monsters!"

Zelda turned in time to see a small fairy trying to dodge a few bokoblins who were swinging their swords at it. "Hang on!" Zelda rushed to the monsters and made quick work of them until they were defeated at her feet.

"Thanks!" The fairy sighed in relief as he flew to Zelda. "I thought I'd be chopped liver for sure."

"It's fine." Zelda smiled as she cupped her hands out for the fairy to rest in. "My name is Zelda- I'm not supposed to be here, but it looks like I came just in time."

"I'm Proxy, with a 'y'!" He greeted. "And I like your name? What does it mean? Where are you from? Nice sword!"

Zelda laughed. "I'm afraid that will have to wait. I need to help the others." She looked to the boulders. "We need to cross that keep, but those boulders are in the way. Could you see Prince Link by any chance?"

"Sure!" Proxy cheerfully flew up, over the keep and saw that the prince and his knights were outnumbered against their opponents.

"Have courage!" The prince yelled. "These are just obstacles to our enemy, but we won't let them into the castle!"

"Keep fighting, Prince!" Proxy cheered out. "We're coming to help!" He floated down to Zelda. "So far so good." He reported.

"The abandoned fort gate is opened!" A knight yelled. "Hurry!"

"Come on!" Zelda rushed to enter the keep and Proxy floated alongside her.

As Zelda rushed into the keep- which was already filled with a few bokoblins- a figure suddenly crashed down from the sky in front of her.

"Whoa!" Zelda stopped, as did her new companion. In her moment of shock, Zelda noticed that the armor cladded man was breathing fire from his mouth, before he stood up and spun his spear in front of him- which also caused fire to come out of it- before he slammed it into the ground and was engulfed in fire. He let out a battle cry that sounded inhuman, before he finally noticed the hylian and the flames disappeared.

"I think that's the dragon knight, Volga!" Proxy nervously gulped. "I hear that he's very dangerous!"

Without even hesitating, Zelda entered the fort.

"Are you nuts?!" Proxy frantically asked.

Volga noticed Zelda. "If you're ready to join your ancestors, then I accept your challenge!" He roared.

"I can't watch this!" Proxy moaned and was about to cover his eyes, when he saw that Zelda immediately blocked the first attack and changed his mind.

What ensued was an unusual fight- Volga was clearly more experienced, but Zelda was able to not only block his attacks, but she was able to hold her own. It then became noticeable that Volga was more used to fighting and fought like some sort of beast because of that, but Zelda had a more cautious approach and was able to go in, when he left himself open, which was slightly often.

"Don't let the dragon knight through!" Impa could be heard shouting as a number of knights began to fight off the monsters that entered out into the field from the keep. Proxy secretly found that any additional help was possibly unnecessary, seeing as Zelda had a good chance of winning.

"Gah!" Zelda finally swung the blade out, and sent Volga flying- he would of fallen, had he not quickly positioned himself in a proper stance as he skidded backwards.

Zelda nervously held her stance as the dragon knight began to tremble in range as her appeared to get up.

"Get out of my way." A low growl escaped him as his right arm became engulfed with flames. He stood up and Zelda watched in amazement as his arm changed into a large, monstrous claw, before he let out a harsh noise and charged at Zelda.

There was no way Zelda could win against this- she knew and yet, she held her stance.

Unfortunately, the knight knocked her back with his monster claw and she found herself tumbling to the ground.

"Zelda!" Proxy yelled out in horror.

It was at that moment, general Impa rushed in.

"Lady Impa?" Zelda groaned as the woman stood in front of her.

"How noble." The dragon knight sounded unimpressed. "Enjoy your shared grave."

Zelda watched as the knight became engulfed in flames once more- and this time, it was so overpowering, she could feel the heat radiating off it.

"Oh no." Impa quickly knelt beside Zelda as the girl looked at Volga- he was going to burn them, and there was nothing she could do about it. She wanted to live- she wanted Impa to live...

"No!" Proxy cried out as he closed his eyes- he just made a new friend and now she was going to die!

Suddenly, a warmth spread across Zelda's hand and her body regained it's strength.

Just as the fire Volga sent towards the two women was close enough, a soft glowing light quickly enveloped the trainee and the general.

Impa was still kneeling on the ground, but she was completely confused as to how the two survived, while Zelda saw a glowing brightness on the back of her hand. Slowly she got up and watched as the fires died away and the brightness of the light faded to reveal the mark of the Triforce glowing on her sword hand.

While the dragon knight was surprised the see that the two survived, Impa realized not only why they survived, but what the glowing mark possibly meant. "Could you be...?" She wondered.

"Is that the mark of the Triforce?" Proxy gasped (the fairy opened his eyes when he heard the strange glow.)

Before Zelda could begin to wonder about the mark, Volga let out a grunt. "You haven't beaten me. You've merely hidden behind your shields, human and otherwise." He then turned into a great dragon, which went up into the sky and retreated.

"Ah, the gate is opened!" Zelda realized as the doors ahead of them opened up to reveal another swarm of bokoblins. "Let's go on ahead!" She ran onwards, alongside her fairy companion, who then rejoined her. Impa watched the girl in wonder, before finally following suit- she needed to reunite with the prince as soon as possible.

"Is Volga slacking off again?" Volga's more sinister comrade wondered from elsewhere. "Fine! Send out the next unit!"

As Zelda raced towards a passage way with boulders up above it, she noticed a small unit of Goron soldiers. "The Gorons are helping us!" She cheered.

"We can't hold them anymore!" One of the Gorons yelled. "Somebody help!"

"On it!" Zelda saw a Lizafos in the group of bokoblins who were against the Gorons and engaged in combat. It was a slightly harder fight than the other beasts, but it eventually fell to her blade.

"Thanks a ton!" The Goron Captain gratefully told her as he crushed a bokoblin. "You should take the treasure in the mine as a reward!"

"Mine?" Zelda glanced up to see the passageway. "I suppose if it helps..." She rushed into the small mine and darted down the hallway until she saw a chest at the very end. She quickly opened it up to reveal-

"Bombs!" Proxy cheered. "You could use those on the boulders!"

"You're right!" Zelda grinned as she put the explosives in a special pouch that could carry almost a limitless number of items and give her exactly what she desired. "And then we can-"

There was a sound of boulders crashing from somewhere near the entrance. It was very easy to guess what exactly happened.

"-Be trapped in here by falling rocks?" Proxy asked.

"Not without the bombs." Zelda cheekily grinned.

Zelda raced back and threw the bombs at the boulders. They immediately exploded, upon impact, and she was free to escape with her companion.

"Let's hurry to the prince!" Zelda told Proxy. The two quickly raced through the armies, through the abandoned fort, and to the set of boulders that separated them from the others. One set of bombs later, the two found themselves facing more bokoblins, but it was nothing Zelda couldn't handle.

"You're good at this!" Proxy was amazed as he hid in Zelda's long hair while she sliced through the beasts.

"Years of training with my father helps in the long run." Zelda told him. She made sure to clear the entire keep, as well as it's boss, so that the hylian soldiers could claim it for themselves, while Impa finally rejoined the Prince.

"Impa!" Link beamed as he held his sword out. "So glad of you to rejoin us!"

"As am I!" The general beamed. "I fear I'd never reached you, if not for a brave trainee!"

"Oh?" Link was surprised to hear this, but it made him wonder in hope. "Could it have been the girl?" He received his answer shortly, for Zelda was quickly approaching the prince and his group of knights.

"That's the prince!" Proxy gasped as Zelda looked at him in amazement. In turn, Link finally noticed the young woman and was surprised to see her out in the field, but at the same time, he was not.

"You!" Zelda gasped "You saw me in the training yard!" Despite that they were in the middle of battle, she was surprised to be standing this close to the prince.

Before the prince could open his mouth, a nasty voice yelled out:

"ATTACK! DESTROY! MASSACRE! Kill the royal whelp before I grow impatient!"

Link winced. "That's not good." He looked over his shoulder. "It appears their numbers have grown." He then yelled. "Capture both the central and east field keeps and close their gates!"

"Leave the east keep to us!" Lady Ashei yelled to Link, before racing off with her own group of soldiers. "Someone take the central one!"

"I will take it!" Zelda volunteered.

"We also need to get to the fairy fountain in the south east." Link thought. "I think the Great Fairy will help us, so if we force the invaders to the north, we can trap them." He then rushed off to the south.

It did not take long for both keeps to be captured by the hylian forces, and Zelda left her position to re-join the prince.

"We really don't need to help him!" Proxy protested, before adding with a shudder. "The Great Fairy scares me."

"You never know if he needs help or not!" Zelda replied. Just as she thought, she saw that the prince had a wave of monsters to face, before he could enter the temple that served as the fairy fountain. "See?" She pointed out before rushing to his aid.

As she helped the prince, it gave her time to observe his fighting style. It was said that he occasionally used a broad sword, but it appeared that his preferred blade was the mighty helix sword, which was believed to be based off the one that belonged to a mighty deity. The blade was mighty and easily mowed down waves of enemies and, as Zelda watched, the blade suddenly became infused with a blue light, which Link sent hurtling towards another group of bokoblins. It was very strange, but since the Royal Family was known to be competent magic users, it was almost unsurprising.

"He almost doesn't even need my help." Zelda wondered, just as Link finally turned to her.

"Thanks again!" He beamed, before frowning. "I hate to ask, but do you have any bombs? The entrance is blocked."

"Ah!" Zelda grinned before pulling a few bombs out. "Here, your Highness!"

"Thanks!" Link quickly grabbed one and raced to the cracked wall that covered up the entrance. He threw one, which immediately exploded upon impact, and caused the wall to brake into pieces.

"Come on!" He grinned and waved a hand to the trainee. "We have to pray together for the Great Fairy! Just throw your hand in the air when I set the magic circle up!"

Zelda rolled her eyes- despite that he was the prince and a great fighter, Link seemed like a young child. However, she kept silent and followed the prince into the beautiful fountain.

"By the way." Link spoke as he placed a hand on the ground, which caused a series of magical runes to form. "What's your name?"

"It's Zelda, your Highness." She replied with a smile as she sent her hand up. Link sent her a smile in return as he stood up and held a hand out to the sky.

"Oh Farore... _why_?" Proxy grumbled as he hid in Zelda's hair. "I just got rid of the nightmares."

The water in the fountain rippled and splashed upwards and, to Zelda's amazement, a large woman came spinning outward and she let out a mighty, hearty laugh before she positioned herself into a relaxing position. The pink haired woman wore ivy and flowers on her clothes and hair and though she was initially beautiful, she wore quite a bit of eye makeup to the point that Zelda could not tell if the woman was beautiful or off putting.

"Ooo..." She grinned at the prince and the trainee as she propped a fist against her face. "I saw you fighting off those hordes of beasts. I take it that the dashing prince of Hyrule needs my help?" She playfully winked- apparently, she was familiar with the prince.

Link let out a nervous laugh as he blushed in embarrassment. "If you are willing, my lady."

The Great Fairy giggled as smaller fairies came out of the fountain. "Of course!" She threw her arms up and outward. "How about a nice, big, bomb?!"

The fairies went on ahead and surrounded Link and Zelda. To their surprise, the fairies took away Zelda's bombs and flew off with them.

-*elsewhere*-

"Could you give us your bombs?" One of the fairies asked Captain Orik, of the Goron army.

"Of course." Orik smiled as he held a bomb up and watched on as a set of fairies took it from him.

High in the sky, the fairies gathered all of the bombs together and, in a flash of pink light, a much larger bomb that glowed with runes could be seen dangerously hovering in the sky, before the fairies dropped it.

The end result? Many bokoblins in the north died from the resulting explosive, which sent a great tremor through the field.

-*The fountain*-

"We did it!" Zelda cheered when they felt the tremor.

"That should boost everyone's morale." Link agreed. "now let's head to the north!"

As the two headed north, Proxy flew out of Zelda's hair and sighed. "She creeps me out. I couldn't stand living at that fountain anymore."

"She's not that bad." Link admitted, though he added. "But she doesn't have a sense of personal space."

The two were about to enter north, when they encountered Impa. "We have the upper hand!" Link grinned and waved at her.

"Your highness!" Impa urged. "You must fall back! We can manage from here!"

Link merely held a hand up in protest. "I'd rather find who is responsible and end this! Don't worry- I can take it!" He then rushed on ahead, and left Zelda and Impa behind.

Impa sighed in displeasure at the Prince's actions before she turned to Zelda. "Please help him."

"Not to worry!" Zelda saluted, but that was when something unexpected happened. The ground began to shake and the two women turned to see a large yellow lizard like monster crash into the earth- sending debris of earth and stone from where it landed. It then let out a mighty roar that almost knocked Zelda backwards from it's sheer force.

"How did they transport a creature of that size to battle so quickly?!" Impa yelled.

"That's a dodongo!" Proxy panicked. "Swords won't work on it!" This made Zelda think very quickly.

"What about the bombs?" She asked. "If the stories are correct, the only way to defeat them-"

"-is for them to eat an explosive!" Proxy finished for her.

"Right!" Zelda took a bomb out and quickly spoke to the general. "I'll take care of this, Lady Impa!"

"Be careful." The general cautioned, before heading off.

-elsewhere-

The second Link heard the sound of rumbling, and the dodongo's roar, he knew that he made the right choice in staying in the battle. With determination, he moved on, until he found exactly who he was looking for.

"You!" Link pointed his sword out at the poe like creature. "State why you are attacking my castle, and I'll spare you!"

The creature let out a wicked crackle. "Well, if it isn't the prince of Hyrule himself! I'm almost flattered to meet you!"

"Last chance!" Link readied his blade. "What purpose do you have here?!"

"Not here, sadly." The creature snickered. "Though, I am terribly curious: is the princess as cute as they say? Perhaps I should pay my respects!"

A surge of fear hit Link, followed by anger. He immediately rushed and swung at the poe, but he quickly disappeared into smoke.

"I wonder what her screams will sound like when I'm through with her!" A crackling laugh could be heard. "I hope she makes quite the hostage!"

With a growl, Link immediately took a green crystal out and held it up. "Farore's Wind! Guide me to Princess Aryll!"

A wind engulfed Link, and he then disappeared in a flash of green.

-elsewhere-

With the aid of at least three soldiers, Zelda finally landed the finishing blow to the dodongo, after he had a 'full course meal' from her bombs. The beast turned dark before it finally exploded and the girl let out a laugh of relief.

"Finally!" She turned to Proxy. "Thanks for your help!"

"Aw, it was nothing." Proxy bobbed up and down. "But maybe we should go find the prince."

"Agreed!" Zelda sent to the north, where a group of soldiers were already out exploring. With the defeat of the dodongo, all the monsters began to make a full scale retreat- to the relief of the victors.

"Excellent job everyone!" Impa praised the other troops. "That's why we should never give up!" She smiled in the direction of the young trainee.

"General Impa!" One of the captains called out as he approached Impa. "Terrible news! The enemy wizard is attacking the castle!"

Impa froze in fear. "So... it was just a diversion?" She felt an illness in her heart- if anything happened to those who lived in the castle, the town, or the family she swore to protect-

"Perhaps the others will be able to handle it." A female knight nervously spoke. "I mean, we have the princess's tutor on our side, right?"

"Where's the prince?" Impa asked. When no one responded, she commanded. "Find the prince!"

"That's the problem." Another soldier nervously spoke. "We... we can't."

Horrified, Impa went off to search for the prince. Try as she might, there was no sign of the young man, but eventually, she found someone else who was immediately going to need her assistance.

"Oh no, not again." Zelda turned in time to see the bokoblins about ready to attack her from behind and she would have taken care of them, had the general not shown up to send them flying with the wave of her sword.

"Thank you." Zelda thanked Impa as she stood upright and prompted her sword next to her. She noticed the downcast look of concern on the sheikah woman's face. "What's wrong?"

"We can't find the prince." Impa told her. "He's gone missing."

-*Hyrule Castle*-

No one had seen the prince. It was as if he had vanished off the face of the earth.

As for the fate of the castle, no one knew what had happened. No messengers came for aid, but they could see that on one side of the castle that a dark, stormy cloud had formed and stayed in place for almost five minutes, before it vanished. This did not faze a select few of the soldiers- they knew only one person could have created that, and he was on their side.

On the return to the castle, Impa explained to Zelda that the prince had been receiving strange omens, and that they had long suspected something horrible was about to happen. The attack that day was most likely a sign of what was to come.

"Now," Impa asked. "When that mark of the Triforce appeared on your hand- is there by any chance a birthmark?" This took Zelda by surprise.

"Well..." Zelda took her gauntlet off and held her hand up to reveal that she indeed had a birthmark in the shape of the Triforce. "This mark appeared when I turned sixteen."

"So it's you." Impa realized. "If you bear that mark, then that means you are the hero we've been looking for."

"Hero?" Zelda looked at Impa in disbelief as Proxy flew out of her hair in interest.

"You are destined to be a savior for our kingdom." Impa told her. "It is no coincidence that you bear the mark, or that the prince noticed you during your training. The kingdom needs you more than you could possibly imagine, and we need a commander who is just like you: someone who is willing to go into battle, despite the danger."

Zelda looked out at the field- several of the soldiers looked exhausted from battle. "I'm just a trainee." She protested. "I know how to fight, but I'm not a leader- I was scared when I thought I was going to die to that knight!"

Impa's features softened. "And yet, you stayed." She placed a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Rushing into battle was reckless, but it takes great courage to face the impossible. We need you for what is to come: can you help me find the prince?"

"You really are something!" Proxy joined in. "I don't know many people who have the confidence to face what you did. Plus, you're pretty strong, for a trainee."

Zelda knew, in her heart, what the answer would be. As horrible as this battle was, it gave her a strong feeling that she could be able to do something beneficial, for what life was offering her. Something was going to happen, and she wanted to do something about it- just like those heroes of old.

Zelda looked Impa in the eye. "I will." She sincerely promised. "If it's at the very least, it is an honor to fight among this army, and the kingdom deserves it's prince." Even if he came across as arrogant and childish, he was also good of heart- Zelda could see that he had great potential as a ruler, even if he wasn't quite ready to take the throne.

Impa lead the troops back to the castle, with Zelda (and Proxy) by her side. As expected, there was an attack, but those who were still inside the castle had quickly taken care of it. When asked about the prince, a few thought they heard him screaming somewhere in the castle, but when they tried to find him, they only found Princess Aryll.

The young princess was unusually quiet and it was assumed she caught word of her brother's disappearance, and everyone left her alone. All but Impa, who wanted to make sure the prince was safe when she confronted the young girl.

"I don't know." Aryll closed her eyes. "But I'm sure he's safe, wherever he is- he can take care of himself." He tried to give Impa a reassuring smile.

"Your brother tends to be overconfident, so I am not as sure as you are." Impa replied as she gestured to Zelda. "But it seems we have found the hero."

"Your highness." Zelda kindly bowed to Aryll, whose eyes lit up in sheer delight and her entire demeanor changed from withdrawn to happiness.

"My brother told me you'd be here one day!" She grinned and shoot a hand out. "Just call me Aryll!"

"Uh-" Zelda was taken aback by the girl's cheerfulness, but she politely shook her hand. "I'm Zelda... Aryll?" She glanced at Impa to see if it was ok to address the princess in an informal matter, but the girl jerked at her hand.

"If you're going to be a hero, you need to dress like one!" Aryll gleefully told her as she pulled Zelda's hand and took her down the hallway. "And I know just what will work!"

"Provided that it's suitable for combat!" Impa reminded the princess, but the girl ignored her and hurried to her chambers with the soon-to-be hero.

"I suppose it's better that she's happy." she spoke to herself.

* * *

FINALLY! The boring part is out of the way! Now the real fun can begin in the next chapter, because I can finally reveal whose replacing Sheik.

Link's personality is based off what was given to us from the game: He won't hesitate to help out, but he is prone to being prideful and confident. (which was pretty interesting.) Also, prophetic dreams do extend to Link: recall the beginning of Ocarina of Time.

I want to try to keep Zelda's optimism, as found in the game- but time will tell if she can hold onto that.


	2. A mysteriously shady (sort of) assistant

Hey guys! It's nice to see the good reviews from the first chapter. :)

 **PsycoFangirl:** Yay! Sadly, poor Proxy hasn't seen the last of the Great Fairy. It didn't occur to me that his introduction was similar to that joke until you mentioned it. (Good ol' Tauberpa and his lovely take on Zant.)

 **HeroAlexa249:** Hey again! :D It is nice to return to those faces again (there's one I'm super eager to return to), and it's fun to have Aryll be included in this fan fic (why can't they bring her back in more games?!) And hey- it's ok about the drawing.

 **Phoenix Champion:**... Why do I get the feeling I'll find you in the twilight era when I get to that chapter? Yes- we will come back to many faces and come back to evil Midna and Fi: the two thirds of the future team evil dad... I don't know what it should be called.

 **AMaeJay** : I love your user name! Zelda wasn't captured in the game, so Link wasn't captured and Aryll is safe (for now)- anything beyond that would be spoilers, but seeing as this is the chapter where...

 **Patrick the almighty observer** : *giggles* I hope I will satisfy the hype. There is a lot of potential and there's always a chance a new face I never thought of will show up. :)

I imagined Zelda's dress as basically her HW costume, but less extravagant, without the banner on the dress or the tiara (she actually looks cute without the tiara in this game.) or the heels on those boots of hers... why is her brooch at the bottom of her hair in the game? Weird, but oh well.

And now, we finally get to meet Sheik's replacement.

* * *

Chapter 2: A mysteriously shady (sort of) assistant

It was in the throne room that a soon to be very important person was recognized.

All the knights and trainees watched on as Zelda stood before the king and princess of Hyrule: she was to be given a special sort of honor and recognition.

To many a surprise, Zelda was not dressed like a traditional knight. She now wore an unusual outfit that seemed cross between a pink ball gown, a traveler's outfit, and touches of armor, with the dress split in half to allow movement for combat. This was all courtesy of the princess of Hyrule, with one special addition.

"This brooch as a special stone in it." The princess told her when she handed it to the girl, for her to wear at the bottom of the braided end of her long hair. "It's supposed to be red, but pink's technically a shade of red." She nervously giggled.

And now, Zelda stood before Princess Aryll and her uncle- the late queen's brother and current reigning king, until the Prince came of age. King Alfon was, in fact, a very just ruler, whose bravery had been passed down to his nephew and nice. Though he had no family of his own, he regarded Aryll and Link as his own children and it was he who initially taught Link how to fight with a sword.

To Zelda's slight discomfort, many eyes were upon her. She recognized the knights, as well as many noteworthy members of the court, and even Linebeck (who had a bit of a reputation, other than being known as a friend of the prince) but the idea of being gazed upon by the Royal Family was a bit nerve-wrecking. Although she wasn't sure she rightfully earned this moment, she held herself with as much dignity as possible.

She was not the only one who was nervous, since Aryll was equally on edge and the moment she accepted a rapier from Impa, it became obvious as to why.

"Uh..." Aryll gulped as she approached Zelda. "W... we saw that you showed great bravery in the battlefield, despite the danger you faced, as well as your potential in the aid of our Kingdom!" She finally spoke out as she held the rapier out. "And so, Zelda of Hyrule- please accept this honor!"

The poor girl had a bit of stage fright and Zelda (who perfectly understood what Aryll was going through) gave her a smile and quietly mouthed. "It's ok." before she knelt before the princess.

"In honor and recognition of your courage." Aryll managed to keep her hand steady and was able to gently touch both of Zelda's shoulders with the slender blade. "You are now a knight of Hyrule!"

-?-

Somewhere, someone was gazing at the ceremony projected by a staff. He let out an amused, yet irritated laugh.

"It's not as good as when you were knighted as the Hero of Twilight, my dear, but you certainly took it with grace." He spoke. "They should have chosen someone other than Prince Link's sister, though she _knew_ how you should look."

He turned outward to see a horde of monsters in the darkness, awaiting his beck and call.

"It won't be long until you come." He grinned. "I'll have an excellent surprise for you- one that will give your soul great joy."

-weeks later-

Weeks passed since Zelda's knighthood, and while Impa was unable to personally train her herself, she made sure the girl had as much training as possible. The same also applied to the knights and trainees, who steadily began to advance into worthy warriors in their own right. Occasionally, Proxy- who became friends with Zelda- would visit the young lady and check in on her as he tried to help out and see if he could catch word of Prince Link.

Sadly for Zelda, the training meant additional one on one training with Lady Ashei, and Sir Winslow. Both had different approaches to training and, unlike her father, they were far more strict.

"All this training and yet I haven't had a chance to put it to good use!" Zelda complained to Groose one day. She volunteered to feed the horses in the stables, and was currently petting a beautiful rust colored mare with a white mane.

"I think it's there intention to wear me out: how did you get through your training?"

"Ah, that's the thing!" Groose slammed a hand against one of his arms and grinned. "My specialty lies in mechanics- and I can run pretty fast!"

"...So you aren't fighting out in the battlefield?"

"I am!" He protested. "I'm part of the defense! I have a sword but I have my own way of doing things! You should see how my beauties work- I'll even give you a good show!"

"Don't listen to him, he's a bully!" Aryll joined in the group and stuck her tongue out at Groose. "He kept hiding things from Link, because he's jealous of him!"

"Really?" Zelda raised an eyebrow at Groose, though with his ego, he did come across as one.

"We've known each other since we were kids!" Groose snickered. "Despite how confident he is about his skills, he's actually pretty lazy! It kind of makes it easy to push his buttons once in awhile, but you should see what happens if you take him to a bar!"

-*Telma's bar (some time ago)*-

"An'- an' so I said," Link giggled after taking a swing of Chateau Romani and looked at both Groose and Linebeck "I'm sorry, but I may as well been out for the last seven years, so don't blame me if I don't know how to turn back time and break off the engagement! I didn't even say yes to begin with!"

To which the two bursted out laughing or, in Linebeck's case, made a terrific spit take. "You didn't!" Groose was beginning to wheeze.

"No I did!" Link exclaimed. "Honestly, I'm surprised she still fancied me after all those years. It didn't occur to her that I wasn't even into her!"

"You got guts kid!" Linebeck boasted as he slammed the prince on the back. "I would of high tailed it, if I was chased down by an obsessive woman."

"That's pretty much what you do on the seas!" Link pointed out. "But in all honesty, Jolene is scary when she makes that one face, so I can see why you run away."

"You see!" Linebeck happily called out to the patrons. "This guy- this guy right here knows me! That's why were friends!"

-*present*-

"Mr. Linebeck is funny!" Aryll giggled as Zelda let out an amused snort. She then noticed which horse Zelda was petting and beamed. "Epona really seems to like you!"

"Epona?" Zelda turned to the horse, who shook her head.

"She's my brother's horse." Aryll spoke as she reached out to pet Epona. "She's normally skittish around most people, but it seems she really likes you."

"Why does that name sound familiar?" Zelda wondered as she and the horse briefly shared a glance.

"The Hero of Time owned a horse named Epona- she was supposed to belong to the prince, but he let her have her, and the Hero of Twilight also had a horse named Epona, who was a valuable ally against the King of Darkness!"

As if by fate, Epona nudged Zelda with her head, and Zelda petted it.

"If you want, you can ride Epona one of these days!" Aryll offered. "Link won't mind it."

"That would be lovely." Zelda smiled at Epona.

\- sometime later-

And so, the trio left the stables and walked through the courtyards. Groose began to boast about his involvement in a past battle that involved a certain type of catapult, and he was about to say what happened when he pulled the lever, when a voice as dangerous as a storm yelled out:

"Your highness!"

The young princess suddenly froze when she heard the voice. "Kindly explain why you were late for your lesson!"

"Oh no, I have to hide!" Zelda and Groose watched as Aryll dashed away. Seconds later a pale man with purple and a look of displeasure in his red eyes stormed up to the duo.

"Where did she go?" He asked the knights, though a slight blush crossed his face when he laid eyes on Zelda.

"That way." Zelda pointed, and the tutor went off, grumbling "The princess will end up in a house if she doesn't learn the blasted spell!"

"Zelda." The two turned their heads again to see that Impa was approaching, and she looked hopeful.

"Lady Impa." Zelda greeted. "I take it you heard good news?"

"I heard that there is a group fighting out against monsters in Faron Woods." Impa explained, though there was a hopeful look in her eyes. "And the leader of this resistance is supposedly a young man. I could only hope that it is the prince."

"So are we finally going out?" Zelda was both hopeful, and yet a little nervous as to what they would find.

"The quickest way to get to the forest is through the Eldin Caves." Impa began. "The entrance is near the base of Death Mountain, and it's a rarely known shortcut to the woods."

"That place is dangerous!" Groose gapped. "I mean, the Gorons would be ok in there, and I could see if they want to lend a hand. But there's so much lava, I doubt we'd be safe!"

"He is right." Zelda admitted. "Not many people take that shortcut. But on the other hand, we don't have a choice, at this point." She looked at Impa. "I say we go."

-*A day later*-

And so, with more than half the soldiers of Hyrule at their side, Zelda and Impa lead their troops to Eldin Caves.

"So long as there is a number of troops back at the castle, I believe the king and the princess will be safe." Impa spoke to Zelda, who was at the head, alongside Lady Ashei, and Sir Winslow (who was also a captain of the knights.)

"This is half of our troops." Sir Winslow frowned as he glanced to the knights. "We are at a disadvantage, both at home and on this search."

"One of our captains went ahead to provide assistance to Faron Woods." Impa confidently added. "I trust he will aid the resistance in whatever way possible."

Zelda sighed and turned around to see that Proxy was flying by her head. "Hi Zelda!" He greeted her. "I heard what was happening, so I thought I'd help out.

She smiled and held a hand out for him. "But I thought you were terrified of Volga."

"I can be a messenger!" Proxy confidently spoke. "I can fly, and be quick- that count's for something!"

"Of course." Zelda laughed, just as she heard a strange clicking noise. She turned her head in curiosity to see a dark skinned female knight with a bow and quiver of arrows lower a Picto Box from her face.

"I'm sorry!" She shot an apologetic look. "But that made a cute picture." She took a small picture from the box and carefully rummaged through her satchel before sticking it into a book, which she immediately put away, along with the Picto Box.

"I'm Bethany!" She grinned and held a hand out for Zelda. "I'm an archer, and it's my job to take photos of anything that can be of use to the army, or for documentation, but I like taking pictures of places and people."

"It's nice to meet you." Zelda grinned and shook her hand.

"Oh, and just as a warning." Bethany quickly spoke. "There's a knight in this group whose a bit of a pervert. I saw him looking at you, but he's pretty stupid- you'll know who I'm talking about." She quickly added.

"Considering how odd some of the soldiers can get, it's no surprise." A red headed girl with a round lime green hat joined in. "But not all of them are that bad!" She quickly added.

Bethany let out a chuckle at the girl, before the redhead turned to Zelda. "The name's Karane." She smiled. "I saw you on the fields that day- I have to admit, that was pretty brave of you."

Zelda smiled back. "I think you are actually one of the instructors."

Karane laughed. "I'm not a great swordsman, but it's nice to help the others. I'm thinking of going full time for a year, once we are done with whatever is going on."

"But if a certain someone doesn't notice her." Bethany mock sang. "Then she'll always be here."

"S-shut up!" Karane turned red and snapped. Zelda was somewhat curious, but she decided not to ask about it.

-stage 2-

After awhile, the group finally reached the caves. The entrance was a large mouth, and there was a sense of dread about it, but everyone knew that they had to take up courage and get through what lay ahead of them.

"Alright!" General Impa turned to the army. "You will follow your respective captains and do exactly as commanded- this cavern is extremely dangerous, and it is our goal to reach the other end in the south-east. To do this, we need to take the northern pathways. Is that clear?!"

"Yes, Lady Impa!" Everyone saluted.

"Lady Ashei, and Sir Winslow's group will go ahead!" Impa spoke. "Lady Zelda and my division will follow.

"Onward!" Ashei commanded as she, Winslow, and their divisions went on ahead.

"Good luck!" Bethany saluted to Zelda, before joining Winslow's troops.

"Ready?" Impa turned to Zelda after a moment's pause. The girl turned to her own troops- one of which included Groose. She took a deep breath before letting out the cry of her first command as captain:

"Let's go!" Immediately, the girl lead her troops into the caves and Impa and her men charged out of the sunlight and forward into the darkness of the caves.

As expected, there were many stalchildren, but they were nothing to the army. They were better prepared this time, and Impa could feel that they were nothing more than pawns for whatever was likely waiting further inside.

"Lady Impa!" Proxy flew to the general. "Some of the soldiers that went ahead of us were cut off! We won't be able to reach them! There's even lava and rocks blocking our way!"

Impa scowled and raced on ahead. She came upon a keep and could hear the others, but the gates were closed.

"There's so many monsters!" Sir Winslow could be heard. "They just keep coming!"

"There has to be another pathway." Impa hurried back to find Zelda, her fairy companion, and her men by a cracked wall.

"We must find the keep that houses the monsters." Impa told them.

"Good thing I still have these!" Zelda took out her bombs and threw them at the wall. An instant contact resulted in the wall's destruction and Zelda's division immediately went on ahead, which was soon followed by Impa's division.

Impa saw that the stone square nearby was filled with monsters. "Take your group to the others- we will deal with this!"

Zelda continued on ahead and Impa went to face the monsters.

"We're here!" Zelda called out as she and the others joined the rest of the knights.

"Oh, thank Din!" One of the others let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, kid!" Sir Winslow added.

"Not to worry!" Zelda grinned as she held her sword out and made herself ready to assist the others. "Lady Impa is right behind us."

Sure enough, Impa quickly finished capturing her keep, with the aid of her knights, although the appearance of poes made things slightly difficult- they had the ability of disappearing, only to reappear in another location before using wide ranged magic, but not only was Impa powerful, she was also fast and made quick work of them. The way she fought was unlike any the new knights had ever seen before, as she had a way of using all her body in each attack and was more akin to spinning around with it- it was not a style they were familiar with, but it was noteworthy in the tribe of the Sheikah.

"Go!" Impa finally finished the poe off and lead them to the others. When they finally managed to do so, the rest were more than happy to be reunited again.

"We can finally move on!" One of the knights cheered. "The monsters are gone!"

"Save your confidence!" Ashei snapped. "We haven't left the cave yet!"

"She's right!" Impa reminded them. "There's no telling what we will find next- be on your guard!" She looked around and saw a river of lava, with a huge pillar of rock stuck in it's path. "The lava is stopping our progress. We need to do something about it!"

"I doubt regular bombs could help us." Proxy told Zelda. "Those stone spires aren't weak enough."

"Does anyone have something more powerful then bombs?!" Zelda loudly yelled to everyone. Before anyone could speak, a horde of monsters suddenly appeared, as if by magic- not just in the nearby keep, but in other locations in the cave.

"Hiya ha ha!" A very familiar voice crackled. "Getting into these caves was so simple! Now they shall become your tomb!"

"That voice." Impa scowled as she recalled that the voice belonged to the one who was among the forces she fought all those weeks ago. "That must be the one responsible!"

As the hylian forces had no choice but to resume the fight, Orik and his men appeared in the caves and saw what was happening. They caught word about the soldiers entering the caves and Orik knew that the hylians would need their help- especially since the Gorons were familiar with the caves.

"Alright boys!" Orik cheered. "Let's get those bombchus ready!"

"GORO!" They all cheered and began to set up work.

"I SEE THE GORONS!" Proxy yelled out for the troops in a very loud voice that was impossibly big for one so small as he saw the large, mouse like motorized bomb. "AND THEY HAVE A BOMBCHU!"

"I'll go ahead and join them!" Impa ceased her attacks on her batch of stalchildren and ran ahead, but to her surprise, she was joined by Groose.

"What are you doing?!" She demanded.

"Sorry lady, but if we want to get past here, we need to keep that bombchu safe!" Groose told her. "We don't even know how many the Gorons have, so better safe than sorry!"

Meanwhile, the enraged enemy realized what was about to happen. "Destroy that eyesore of a rat!" He shrieked. "Show those fools the depths of despair!"

And so, while the Gorons- along with the additional assistance- were forced to protect the bomb, the others had to face off against the dark forces that stood between the bombchu and the spire. Unfortunately for the dark wizard, his enemies were only weak beings that were no match for the general and the prophesied hero, and the result on the side of light was nothing but laughable. The bombchu was successfully escorted, and it exploded upon impact at the spire, which shattered into many pieces. It blocked the flow of lava, which also granted the soldiers safe passage.

"Head for the exit!" Sir Winslow commanded, and the rest wasted no time.

"What about the Gorons?" A knight truned to Orik and the others.

"We'll catch up!" He promised. "Let's give you a head start!"

As Zelda lead her division of troops, they all came to a stop when a wave of monsters began to approach them. Stalchildren, poes, stalfos- it was an improvement, but a dangerous one. She turned her head and saw that another set of monsters appeared in between the knights and the Gorons, and the monsters were moving towards the former of the two.

They were trapped.

"Another wave." Zelda sighed as she took her sword out. "How are you Lady Impa?"

"Same here." Impa clutched the handle of her sword as a wave from her side began to approach her group.

The troops began to back away from the monsters, but the end result created a ring with the prey right in the center, with backs against each other. If they didn't think of anything soon, they would be easy targets for the monsters.

"Any ideas?" Impa proposed.

"Well," Zelda thought out loud. "We could charge ahead, couldn't we?"

"Oh gee!" Zelda's own voice suddenly rang out, without it passing through her own lips. "Two skilled warriors and a group of knights against weak leveled stalchildren and poes! We just have to be cornered, don't we?!" The voice let out an overly dramatic moan.

Zelda herself gasped in shock. "I swear that wasn't me!" She frantically spoke: she wasn't one for sarcasm, but she would never use it under circumstances like this one.

"That's because it was me!" The group turned and looked in confusion for the source of the voice and saw Zelda on a set of rocks- or what appeared to either be a long lost sister or a clone of the young lady.

"That's not good form!" She called out to them, before grinning. "Why not I lend a hand?"

To everyone's shock, Zelda's clone melted to a sickly, wild looking purplish form of dark mass that produced a strange sort of smoke. Like a snake, the mass suddenly shot out around the monsters and engulfed them within it's being, like a fog. The next moment, they heard the sound of bones snapping, and many monsters were sent flying into the air before they crashed to the ground and remained still.

"What is that thing?!" One of the shocked knights asked before the mass shrank in size and slithered it's way towards Zelda and Impa. Upon reaching them, it expanded upward, and grew slim in size, until it formed a perfect replica of Impa.

"So sorry!" Impa's clone let out a sheepish laugh as she held a hand up and shook her head in displeasure. "But that was a sad sight."

"Who are you?" Impa demanded. "What are you?"

The clone let out a mock gasp. "Why how rude- I'm a 'who'!"

Impa's clone pouted as the Gorons rejoined the troops. The clone disappeared into a mass, which circled around her until it rose up to take Zelda's form again.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Zelda's clone held a finger up, as the original looked on in amazement. "I technically don't have a real form." She tilted her head in interest and put a finger to her lips. "So I have to borrow someone else's... unless..." She grinned. "How about a form you are more comfortable with?! Like..." The clone put on another mock thought before it regained it's shape and grew taller than Zelda to form-

Impa let out a surprised gasp. "Your Highness?"

Before them was Link- or someone who looked like Link. His tunic was black and his scarf was purple, but his clothing was more ragged. His skin was slightly darker, his hair was a wild mess of purplish black, and his eyes were almost as red as Impa's, except they were slightly brighter and almost seemed to glow under the shadow of his bangs. In addition to looking almost exactly like the prince, he appeared almost inhuman, which was hinted at by the fact that his fingernails were sharp and pointed, the end of his cap seemed to have a mind of it's own as the end part was not only crocked, but twisted and turned as if it were a trail of smoke or a snake. His eyes held a sort of dark humor and mischievousness, and they made it impossible for one to decide if he was plotting something, or he just wanted to play a joke on someone.

Finally, to complete the change, he carried no weapon, but attached to his belt was a strange looking blue, black, and gold edged mirror.

"You were expecting Tingle?" He raised an eyebrow. "Sorry to disappoint y'alls," The clone grinned and revealed sharp looking teeth. "I'm not that goody-two shoes, but I think this is a much better improvement on his looks. But don't worry!" He cheerfully reassured her. "He's alive and safe at the moment... or so I think."

"What do you mean?" Impa demanded.

"Look, I'll just say that he's safe, but other than that, you have every reason not to trust me. I swear it by my na-" He hesitated and rubbed his chin. "Hmmm... what was the name again? Dark? or was it Shadow?"

The ground suddenly began to shake, like an earthquake was going to happen any second.

"Ah, Shadow!" He snapped his fingers in joy. "And if anyone complains, I'll understand!"

"What's with the ground?!" Bethany frantically asked as she ignored Shadow.

"It appears your demented no-good doer can summon up more monsters." Shadow calmly told her. "So, I'd advise y'all to hurry on up, if you know what I mean."

"Foreword! Cut them down! Hiya ha ha!"

"See?!" Shadow cheekily jammed a thumb southward. "By the way- he's down near the exit."

Impa gritted her teeth. "Everyone follow us! Gorons too!"

The group wasted no time and began to hurry forward down a beautiful crystal filled tunnel. To almost everyone's surprise, Shadow also joined them.

"If you don't mind, General." Shadow quipped to Impa as he ran in between her and Zelda, like a desperate, lonely individual. "Perhaps I can be of use?"

"Who is this weirdo?" One of the knights- Kay- asked his friend Aaron as they ran through the tunnels with their superiors.

"Well, if he's on their side, I'm not going to become an idiot." Aaron retorted. "I'm hightailing it, if I have to."

Everyone came to the tunnel square, where the gates were closed, and the area was filled with weak monsters. The south gate (which was the quickest means of getting out) was closed, which left the secondary option of leaving through the tunnel interior gate, which suddenly opened up for them.

"The tunnel is narrow!" Orik warned the captains and General. "If we get ambushed, we're stuck."

Meanwhile, their enemy was excited with a new possibility. "They have nowhere to run!" He cheered. "Crush them! Beat them! Grind them to dust!" He let out a laugh as his monsters began their oncoming approach towards the others.

"Clearly, Orik was correct." Zelda addressed the small numbers of oncoming numbers that came towards them, but they were no match for the front division. Shadow had yet to attack and casually watched the others fight, as if it were all a show to him. "You don't suppose the leader is ahead of us?"

"There is a chance that the leader may be the one controlling the gates." Shadow provided. "It would make easy game for him or her."

"I'll go." Impa told them and raced on ahead: if this leader was responsible for the prince's disappearance, then she wanted answers.

"You want me to guard the rear?" Shadow lazily asked for Impa, but she ignored him as she ran through the tunnel.

"...Ok, I suppose we will guard the rear." Shadow shrugged.

"What do you mean by 'we'?" Zelda demanded. "You aren't one of our captains."

"He means us!" A clone of Shadow suddenly peeked out from behind the shape-shifter, before leaping o the side.

"And me!" Another clone leaped out.

"And us!" Two more showed up.

One of the soldiers groaned. "Oh great- he can clone himself too!"

"Alright boys!" Shadow grinned and held his left hand out. The clones copied and a long smoky pillar rose out from their palms before turning into swords. "Let's have at it!" The main Shadow turned around and they all ran back the other way towards the monsters.

At the end of the tunnel, Impa found a poe by a set of gates.

"Are you the leader?!" She demanded.

"I am, but the keeper of the gates!" The poe let out a crackle. "Defeat me if you-"

He was cut short as Impa cut through him. "That was all I needed to know." She curtly told it as it faded to black and exploded. Seconds later, the gates opened, and Zelda led the others towards Impa.

"I knew you could do it Impa!" Proxy cheered. "Now we can all get out of the caves!"

"Shadow is right behind us!" Zelda told Impa.

"What if he's planning a trap?!" Aaron asked.

"Then that's my problem!" Impa yelled as the soldiers flooded out into the final part of the caves.

Unfortunately, they couldn't leave just yet- there was another stone spire in their way.

"Son of a-" Groose cut himself short and turned to the Gorons. "Hey, do you guys have another bombchu?!"

"You got it!" Orik gave them a thumbs up and turned to a goron with a red bandana and sky blue eyes. "Hey Geode! Get it ready!"

"R-right brother!" Geode nervously saluted and turned to a group of Gorons, who proceeded to get the bomb set up as fast as they could.

"Hey wait a minute!" Groose quickly ran to them when he saw that Geode was fumbling with the machinery. "You're setting the motor up all wrong! Let me help out!"

"One won't be enough." Orik grimaced before looking up. "One of our brothers said he left a bombchu in these caverns. Try looking around for it!"

"I'll protect these guys!" Zelda headed to Groose, Geode, and the others, followed by her division.

"Find the bombchu!" Impa roared before she proceeded the search. It didn't take long until she found the Stock Room, but there was no bombchu. She then backtracked until she found the central square, where a bombchu was hiding.

"Let me at this!" A grouchy looking Goron went to the bomb. "We only have one shot!"

"We found the bomb!" One of the knights yelled all the way to the others.

"We got it!" Orik laughed. "Launching two bombchus! It's a straight line to the stones!"

Their opponent heard this from where he hid, and he was very displeased.

"Always something in my way..." He grumbled before roaring "I'll smash these rats myself if I have to!"

Firstly, he made many monsters appear in the area where the soldiers were. A slight delay wouldn't hurt, but first things first.

"General Impa!" He yelled so loudly that his voice echoed in the caves. "Face me! I know you want to!"

Impa was able to hear these words: this was something she wanted, but she knew it could easily be a trap. "If that's what he wants." She darkly spoke, before rushing back to the south.

"So many monsters!" Proxy freaked out over the soldiers and the monsters fighting each other, while a select few had the bombs ready and were trying to protect them, while Impa raced out to find the voice. "What do we do?!"

Impa did not have to run very far, for the poe like creature she once saw came out into the open. "General Impa!" He gleefully greeted and swooped in a bow for the lady. "How nice of you to show up!"

"Who are you?!" Impa demanded as she readied her sword. "Why are you attacking Hyrule?!"

"I am Wizzro, the dark wizard!" He crackled. "And you'll find out- in the depths of the underworld!" He boasted as purple energy came out of his being.

As Impa was stuck fighting Wizzro, the bombchu that Geode and Groose worked on had not only managed to run, but it collided against the spire, which cracked after the resulting explosion, but didn't break.

"The road should be open before long!" Orik cheered. "Cover the second bombchu!"

Zelda and a few soldiers quickly ran to the bombchu- only to find that Shadow was sitting cross legged upon it as it moved it's way towards the spire.

"What are you doing?!" Zelda protested. "You'll slow it down!"

"I won't!" Shadow singed before adding in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone. "I changed the density of my body!"

Zelda and the soldiers watched in dumb amazement as Shadow continued to ride on the bombchu towards the spire.

Elsewhere, Impa was facing a tough battle- the wizard was sadistic, and he had many long ranged magical attacks that were just as deadly. However, every end result left him in need of time to recover, and Impa was more than willing to attack him with her sword.

"Leave him to me!" Impa yelled when others tried to join in. "This one is mine!"

"Oh!" Wizzro was amused. "I see you don't like sharing, do you?"

Shadow crossed his arms and hummed a song that sounded an awful lot like the Bolero of Fire as the bomb began approaching the spire. Just before impact, he quickly leapt off it, went several feet into the air and landed several feet away, just as the bomb exploded.

"Now we can get to the exit!" Proxy cheered when the debris cleared. The hylians and the Gorons ceased fighting and hurried towards the exit.

Wizzro growled and disappeared from the fight. "It doesn't matter!" He roared. "I'll destroy you all! I'll send every monster in this cave after you!"

"Hmm?" Shadow looked up in curiosity, before letting out a dark grin. "I suppose it's my turn." He spoke, just as Zelda noticed his expression and came to a stop.

"What do you mean?" Zelda asked, just as Impa and Proxy joined them.

Grinning, Shadow rammed a hand into the mirror he possessed. The others watched as a dark matter formed on the surface of the mirror as he rummaged inside of it. When he found what he was looking for, his grin widened so much, it would have put the Happy Mask Salesman's trademark grin to shame, and he pulled out a black bomb with a skull painted on that slowly grew in size. He held it up over his head until it grew five times his exact size.

"Ten seconds!" He almost sang to the three before casually tossing it across the air with a casual flick of his wrist.

"EVERYONE OUT NOW!" Impa yelled out in horrid realization, just as the bomb hit the ground and sent a light tremor through the ground before the fuse lit up. Those who saw this wasted no time in scrambling for their lives to get the heck out of the caves.

"Go! Go! Go!" Groose yelled as the back members charged and warned the others who had yet to realize what was about to happen.

"Go warn the others!" Zelda yelled to Proxy, who quickly obeyed and sped off, just as Impa went on ahead. She then turned to Shadow, who looked on in mild interest, and was about to ask what he was doing, until she saw that the wave of enemies were coming towards them from.

"Sweet land, princess!" Shadow sighed in irritation. " _Must_ I be your knight in shinning armor?!" To Zelda's alarm, he quickly wrapped his arms around her. "Close your eyes!" He warned her.

With no time to think about why she shouldn't put her trust in this creature, or to tell him to let go of her, or why his body temperature was colder than a normal hylians, Zelda obeyed.

Shadow turned into the purplish dark mass, which engulfed Zelda within it. The mass then speeded through the cave and towards the others, who were just escaping out into the outside.

As for Zelda, she could feel something holding onto her, but she could also feel that she was engulfed by this mass and didn't know whether to be scared or just hold on for dear life.

-outside-

Everyone managed to escape the caves and went out into a wide, yet shadowed and rocky crevice, where a pathway that lead to the woods was on the other end. Those at the front were able to rest easily, while those who found out about Shadow's idea of buying time were desperately trying to catch their breath.

"Oh thank Nayru it's over!" Sir Winslow panted.

"What about Shadow and Zelda?!" Proxy asked as he turned to Impa. In turn, the general turned towards the caves, just as they heard a really loud explosion from within.

For one moment, everyone's heart seemed to stop. Some wondered if all the beasts within had died from the explosion, while others were more concerned about Zelda.

"A- are they dead?" Bethany nervously asked as Impa's heart began to race in fear.

Suddenly, the dark mass raced out of the cave, swam past Impa and Proxy, and landed onto a rock that was a few feet from the knights and Gorons. They all watched as it changed in size, until it revealed itself to be holding onto Zelda, as if she were a bride, while her sword was back in it's sheath, and her shield at her back. Finally, the mass changed and took on a more human shape, until it became Shadow, who seemed rather pleased with himself.

Zelda finally opened her eyes and blinked in surprise. What had just happened was almost like something out of a nightmare, and yet she had felt safe the entire time.

"Well now," She looked up to the red eyes of Shadow, who stared at her in great interest. "I see you have rather pretty blue eyes."

"Uh..." Zelda found herself in a dilemma- she felt the weak part of herself blushing (against her will) and was somewhat flattered, while the other wanted to get out of his arms. Fortunately, Shadow could sense the latter half's need and gently placed her back on her feet.

However, he wasn't done with her just yet, as he took her hand and carefully held it, though his hands were cold to the touch, like the rest of his body. "I take it that I just rescued someone important to this army." He smirked at her. " _Are_ you a princess, by any chance?"

"U-uhm." Zelda stammered. "I-I'm not a princess. I'm just Zelda of the knights of Hyrule."

"A knight?" Shadow made a slightly disappointed 'tsk' sound. "But with a face as lovely as yours, you should be nothing else but a princess!" He then drew Zelda's hand to his lips and kissed it.

"Hey buddy!" Groose was the one to finally speak out as the others watched in great interest at this unusual moment. Shadow's eyes opened as he still held Zelda's hand and they looked at the bulky man in great annoyance. "You could have waited a few more minutes before throwing that bomb! Something that large would have killed everyone within the blast zone!"

Shadow let go of Zelda's hand and turned to face Groose as he continued. "And I'm speaking for everyone when I say that! What were you thinking?!"

Shadow tilted his head at Groose for a moment and chewed on his lip. Finally, he told Groose exactly what he thought and pointed at him.

"Nice hair."

Groose gapped at Shadow before growling. "Hey!" He then jabbed his pointer fingers towards his head. "Lay of the do' or I'll flatten you!"

Shadow let out a snort and bowled over laughing. "So much for caring about everyone, eh?" He wasn't the only one- a few of the knights and Gorons who were perplexed at Groose's pompadour actually found this amusing and even Zelda had to hide a smile behind her hand. Unfortunately, Groose didn't take this well and began to snarl. "I'm going to-"

"ENOUGH!" Impa stood in-between the two and held her hands out. "Save this petty discussion for another day."

Groose let out a noise of protest but then gave up and his shoulders slumped.

Impa turned to Shadow with a look of curiosity and suspicion. "Now then- why are you helping us, and why do you look like the prince?"

"If you want the truth." Shadow still held his smile as he replied. "I'm the end result of an idiot who thought he could take the kingdom for himself. That's all I'll say, because, honestly, you shouldn't trust me.

As to why I'm helping y'all- perhaps I want to live a little and see how things go." He then turned his head to face Zelda. "Besides- it's not everyday you get to meet the one who's destined to be the hero."

He then looked back. "But instead of my story, weren't you going somewhere?"

"He's right." Ashei came up to remind Impa. "We still need to find the prince and head to Faron Woods. Besides- isn't he a friend of the village's leader?"

Impa's gaze lingered on Shadow, before finally turning away. "You're right." She admitted. "If what they say is true, then there is a chance we may still find the prince." She looked to her men. "We will continue onward. Those who wish to join are cause are more than welcome."

Everyone was more than willing to continue onward, and they headed through the crevice and towards the woods.

"I'm so glad you're ok!" Proxy flew to Zelda as she and Shadow stepped down from the rocks. "I was afraid you wouldn't make it out alive!"

"It's fine." Zelda gave Shadow a glance. "I _suppose_ the cause of concern was looking out for my safety."

"Is that all the thanks I get for saving your butt?" Shadow frowned. "It would have been a shame if I accidentally killed the hero before she get's to face her destiny."

"With all due respect." Zelda frowned back. "I am thankful you saved me, but what you did _was_ completely unnecessary."

Shadow let out a sigh and glanced up towards the sky before he jolted and a slight fear crossed his face.

"Let's save this for later, princess." He quickly ran a hand into the mirror at his side and pulled out a dark blue robe with a hood, which he quickly put on.

"Much better." Shadow flipped the hood over his head, but then his face was completely darkened and only his red eyes could be seen. It was an eerie sight, and it made Zelda hesitant as Shadow pulled something from within his mirror and then held out what looked like a magical rod for Zelda.

"Fire rod." He casually informed her. "You get to choose which of your men can have it."

Zelda accepted the rod. "I'm willing to accept your help for now." She warned him. "As long as you don't put the others in danger like that, ever again."

"Sure thing, princess." Shadow merely replied.

And that was that.

* * *

-Outtake 1-

Shadow let out a sigh and glanced up towards the sky before he jolted and a slight fear crossed his face.

"Let's save this for later, princess." He quickly ran a hand into the mirror at his side and pulled out a-

-a pink robe with a bunny shaped hood.

"Oh son of a-" Shadow scowled and tossed it away. "I knew I-" he rummaged through the mirror and pulled out a purple robe with a bunny shaped hood.

"For some reason, I feel the need to punch a merchant in the face." Shadow tossed it aside and pulled out a black robe.

"Too emo, too unbearable for the sun."

Next came a regular purple robe.

"As much as I like the color, it will make me look too much like that nut-job." He then had a perplexed look. "Why do I get the feeling that I just made someone happy?"

Next was a red robe. At first, it seemed to pacify him, but then he saw that the lining had a diamond pattern.

"... I get the feeling that my ears are going to be violated if I wear this."

Finally, he pulled out a blue cloak.

"1990 comic book reference!" He beamed. "That'll do!"

* * *

I'm sorry but it HAD to be Shadow/Dark Link. He takes nods to the Four Swords Adventure game and manga counterpart, the OoT version, and a little of my own spin. I choose the name Shadow because it's not as used and, in the manga, it was implied that Shadow may have had a soft spot for Zelda. The 'pretty eyes' compliment was a nod to a noteworthy interaction between the two, but it wasn't used as a compliment at the time.

...And with that, we officially begin the romantic aspect of the fan fic, while I pray to keep a balance and not have it dominate every chapter.

I wasn't planning on having Epona, but I needed to give her a nod: I adore her, and though I still have yet to run out of hearts when ridding her in the game, I always make sure that never happens, because I hate the idea of hurting her.

I'm still figuring out who gets to keep the Fire Rod, since Zelda won't take it: any secondary weapon will most likely go to someone else in this fan fic. In case you are wondering, the spear is going to a character in the next chapter- a character who was specifically requested.

Also, Groose _did_ have a sword in the concept artwork in Hyrule Historia... so it works?

Finally, if you want to see how I envisioned Liam and Ceiya, check out my deviant art account (tornrose24), and look for 'Gender swapped Lana and Cia'. And before some of you ask: yes. I _did_ think of David Bowie when I thought of Ceiya's design. If Cia's costume was an attempt to be sexy to Link, the same idea must apply to her male counterpart.


	3. Blue-Green

**HeroAlexa249:** I highly recommend Four Swords Adventure, if you can find it (along with the manga). It's highly underrated and is a nice mix of elements from AlttP and WW. Wizzro is an interesting villain, and delightfully evil in his own ways. I'm debating on how big Linebeck's role is, but he's going to appear again in the next chapter.

 **PsycoFangirl** : The purple is a nod to Wizzro and Vio (I was initially going to make the cloak purple as a nod to Vio as a certain compromise, before I realized why the color would be an issue in the story.) *grabs red string of fate fruit roll-up... then nibbles on it* Mmm, fate is sure tasty! And yeah, Shadow is a bit sassy, even though I was aiming for the equivalent of a troll.

 **Deanna Saber** : It definitely is a nice feeling. :) It's nice to have a good review, or at least one that provides good, constructive, critiquing. Vaati did help take care of the monsters that invaded the castle in chapter one (hint: the storm cloud mentioned near the end belonged to him.)

 **Thegeniusyoshi:** I'm not sure what will happen after this fan fic. I enjoy the idea, but the idea of Ezlo as the villain... is actually pretty funny, now that I think of it.

To answer the big question, yes: Vaati is Aryll's tutor. We will see him again in the next chapter, and he might become more active later, but that won't be for quite awhile.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Blue-Green**

High in the tree tops, upon a tree a young girl oversaw the chaos that was erupting in her village. With a hand to steady her for support, she tried to observe to see how she could help, but her heart was filled with a wavering dread.

"Oh Great Deku Tree." She prayed. "Give us your strength, and protect us, as you have protected your children many ages before. Protect me and my people, and if we should perish, then let our bodies become one with this great earth, and may our souls join your children in peaceful woods of green."

"Saria! Saria!"

The girl turned to see a fairy quickly zip towards her. "A bunch of Hyrulean soldiers and Gorons are coming our way!"

-*elsewhere*-

The large army continued their way towards the forest. They could hear faint battle cries, and they knew that they wouldn't have a chance to rest anytime soon.

In other cases, there was a new tension forming, courtesy of their new addition, who continued to wear the blue cloak, despite that the weather was fair. General Impa especially shot him suspicious glances every so often, to the point that it became noticeable.

"General." Sir Winslow addressed Impa. "Not to be rude, but if you keep giving him looks, he might see you as a threat. Perhaps if you relaxed, you might have a chance to analyze him when he won't be able to notice."

Impa reluctantly turned away while Zelda examined the fire rod in her hands: it was a powerful weapon, but it would be too dangerous to use in Faron Woods. Who could she entrust it to?

"Hey- uh-" Groose turned to see Geode address him. "Th-thanks for helping out back there." He told him. "The truth is, I'm not that great with mechanics. In fact-" He shook his head. "-I'm not into fighting."

"Hey, it's no problem." Groose shrugged as Zelda turned to listen in. "But why are you still with us?"

"The truth is-" Geode began. "I want to be just like Darunia- the mightiest of all Gorons. They said that he was not only a good leader, but an impressive fighter. It's considered an honor if you are compared to him in our tribe."

"I don't think that's a good thing." Zelda spoke to him. "As amazing as that sounds, you should be striving to be the best _you_ can be."

"But I'm not good at anything as I am now!" Geode gave her a helpless look. "I haven't even figured out who I am yet. I'm not like my brother, or my sworn brothers, and I'm not that good of a fighter, or even a miner!"

While Zelda and Groose were unable to figure out who to comfort the poor Goron, one of the soldiers was watching her.

"Quit looking at her, Reg!" A mace carrying knight hissed at him. "I doubt she's looking for a date anytime soon."

Reg shot him an 'are you nuts' look. "I'm not into her, Marsh!" He hissed. " She's got a nice figure, but that's about it. Now the exotic type- _that's_ my kind of girl. Kind of like General Impa."

Marsh gave Reg a pitiful look. "...Good luck with that."

"Aren't you boiling in that robe?" A brown haired knight asked Shadow as they began to enter the forest. Shadow looked up as they passed through and the blue sky turned to green trees and a strange faint fog. Slowly he stuck a finger out and paused.

"Slight tingle," He muttered. He finally looked to the knight. "Pipit, was it? It looks like I can ditch this in a few minutes, but not just yet."

Up ahead, the sounds of fighting from the village increased. Just before Impa could issue a command, a green figure suddenly leapt out in front of them.

The figure- a young girl with emerald green hair and dressed in brilliant shades of green- held a deku spear out in front of her. "Are you here to help us?" She demanded.

The others watched on as Impa greeted the girl. "Saria of the Kokiri Village." She spoke. "We heard word that someone was leading a resistance in your village against the horde of monsters."

"That's correct." Saria nodded. "And we could really use your help. We need help evacuating the villagers out."

"Let us Gorons take care of that." Orik told Impa. "You can help fight off the beasts."

"Oh my gosh!" A green fairy flew from behind Saria and headed to Proxy as the girl told Impa as much as she could. "Proxy is that you?!"

"Sunny!" Proxy cheered and flew towards her. "I haven't sen you in so long!"

"What are you doing with the Hyrulean Army?"

"I'm a messenger!" Proxy proudly told her. "See? I can do something other than slack off at the fairy fountain all day!"

While the fairies caught up, Zelda glanced at the fire rod one more time, before she held it to Geode. "We can't use fire in the forest." She explained. "Could you hold onto this, for me?"

"Sure." Geode accepted the weapon.

-Stage 2-

High above the ground, within the mighty trees, resided the Kokiri Village, whose guardian deity- the Great Deku Tree- watched over them.

However, the peace they normally knew, had been thrown in disarray in the last few days. Bulbins and gibdos had invaded their home, and only a few of them knew how to fight. There was only a very small group of knights that were able to hold them off, and their captain took it upon himself to stay at the Great Deku Tree.

A young Sheikah with hair so wild, that he might as well have had a head of white feathers, glared down a small group of bulbins and a gibdo as he readied his naginata. "Come on." He encouraged them. "I fear no gibdo."

With a cry, he then swung out at them.

Meanwhile, a group of villagers and knights were trying to fight off the bulbins, but they were about to receive an unusual form of aid.

A young blue haired man who was garbed in blue and white held a book in his hand and threw the other hand outward. Pillars of white energy shot out from the ground and struck some of the bulbins, before he ran through the fight.

"Please don't let anyone he hurt." Violet eyes glanced around the battle field, before he saw a fallen villager and raced to heal him with his magic.

"Do you need help?!" He looked up to see that a large number of knights immediately joined the others and quickly made work of the bulbins. What especially caught his eye was a pink clothed blonde with a sword and shield.

"...You." He recognized her as he healed the soldier. "You came."

As Zelda and Impa approached him, Shadow appeared from behind. "Are you leading these warriors?" Impa asked the blue haired man.

The man brushed the left side of his hair back with his hand, along with the short side braid with the red feather attached to it before getting up. "I am." He admitted as he held the book to his chest. "I am Liam, the White Sorcerer."

"He's kind of cute, isn't he?" Bethany quietly giggled to one of the other female knights.

"Aren't you from the clan of magic users?" Zelda asked. "Like Princess Aryll's tutor?"

Liam beamed at her, before frowning. "Unfortunately." He spoke. "The one responsible for this war also comes from the same clan. Does the name Ceiya sound familiar to you?"

Shadow was the only one who seemed to recognize the name ( it would have been hard to see this, within the darkness of his hood), but this was new to everyone else. "So it wasn't that poe freak?" Ashei wondered out loud.

"And what does this 'Ceiya' want from Hyrule?" Impa demanded.

"You really want to know?" Liam grew thoughtful, and smiled. "Well... Help me defend the forest and I'll tell you everything. There's just two problems." Liam pipped up. "Someone named Wizzro is in charge of this."

A handful of soldiers groaned and Impa was very annoyed. "Him again... I have a feeling he's going to be a thorn in our sides."

"Secondly," Saria stepped forward and turned to Impa. "Deku babas have sprouted up around my village and they are producing a ring of toxic fog. We can't attack them directly."

"That's where archers come in!" Bethany cheered and ran ahead. "We'll take care of it!" As if on cue, every archer in the army quickly ran ahead and sought out the deku babas.

"As for everyone else!" Liam quickly spoke. "We need to re-group at the Great Deku Tree. There could be more villagers who need our help!"

And so, while the others immediately did there best to fight off what they could, the archers began to find the deku babas, whose toxins protected the bulbins.

"This is going to be great!" Bethany readied her bow from a safe distance, pulled back the arrow, and smirked. "Now then- watch me fly."

The arrow was released from the bow and made perfect contact into the deku baba, who shriveled up, died, and ceased the production of toxins, which left many bulbins vulnerable. Grinning, Bethany ran off to find the next one.

The process of eliminating the baba's did not take long, and the rest of the army was free to go deeper into the village. As promised, they headed towards the Deku Tree, while making sure to eliminate as much as they could. Impa stayed behind, to fend off the enemies.

The first to arrive though... meet a rather annoying villager.

"You can't come in here!" A small freckle faced boy stood in front an entrance to the tree. "I have specific permission to not let anyone in!"

"What the heck are you doing, kid?!" Groose yelled at him. "You'll get flattened if you stick around! Go hide!"

"I, the great Mido, refuse to let you in!"

"You know we can just walk around you!"

"You think some dumb-haired guy is going to stop me?"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, YA PIPSQUEAK?!"

"Hey kid!" Shadow flipped his hood off as soon as he entered the shadowed part of the tree and approached the boy. "Question: do you have a sword and a shield to fend for youself?"

This caught Mido off guard. "Uh- n-"

"Then move!" A clone of Shadow appeared behind the boy, picked him by the collar, and tossed him into the wide room within the tree.

As the two rushed in and Shadow's clone disappeared, Groose gave Shadow a thankful, but perplexed face as the dark being tore his cloak off and stuffed it into the mirror. When he noticed the look, he replied. "That kid rubbed me the wrong way."

As Zelda and Liam entered the Deku Tree, she noticed the Shiekah boy who was garbed in familiar looking armor. "Are you the captain Impa spoke of?" She asked.

The boy turned to her and became flustered. "You must be the hero that Lady Impa spoke of!" He held his naginata in one hand and held the other out for Zelda. "I'm Koji, of the Sheikah tribe! I was personally trained by Lady Impa!"

"Mido, what the heck are you still doing here?!" Saria hissed at the dazed Mido. "Get out of here!"

"I see that Mido still thinks he's important." Proxy snickered to Sunny. "Oh, like you wouldn't believe!" She replied.

"We still need to fend off the gibdos!" Koji told Zelda and Liam. "When they arch back, run away before they let out the wind that paralyzes you, and then strike!"

"Anyone else who heard that, follow us!" Liam yelled, before racing out. "I'm going south!" He, Zelda, Saria, and Koji ran out, with a small group of soldiers each, which left another handful at the tree, along with Groose and Shadow.

"I'm still staying here!" Shadow told the others as he produced his clones when they saw the bulbins approach the tree. "Might as well cover everyone's butt while I'm at it!" He grinned.

From a distance, in the enemy base, Wizzro watched the battle. The annoying pests were divided up, with the bookworm and the pretty one in the south, the Sheikah brat and the forest brat in the north, the General in the south west, and the black spot was defending the tree. As powerful as the gibdos were, it wouldn't be long until they would defeat them and come to him- and he did not like to be ambushed. Especially by a handful of powerful warriors.

He looked to the Great Deku Tree and an idea came to mind. Oh, it was going to be so perfect! "Enjoy your little success, weasels! My next plan will burn your spirits to ashes! Hiya ha!" He laughed in eager anticipation- oh, it was going to be brilliant!

Elsewhere, Captain Winslow was finishing off a wave of bulbins with his sword. Just as he finished off the last one, he saw one of the villagers- a young, blonde girl- running away from an archer, who was about ready to shoot an arrow at her.

"LOOK OUT!" He almost screamed and raced to the girl, who looked his way. At the same time the archer let out an arrow at the girl's feet, and Winslow could do nothing but watch as the arrow stuck the girl in her right leg.

Even before the girl let out a cry of pain, something in the captain snapped and he directed his attention at the bulbin- it was going to pay for what it did.

Meanwhile, the gibdos had been defeated and Liam let out a sigh of relief. "The worst is finally out of the way. I can't stand gibdos or re-deads."

Without warning, a blast of flames hit the Great Deku Tree and set it it on fire. The tree began to produce red flickering lights as the flames began to spread.

"No!" Saria cried out in horror. "Great Deku Tree!"

Wizzro let out a terrible laugh. "And so, I shall destroy this village's symbol of hope, along with the rest of you! And if the forest goes with it, then it'll make one heck of a show!"

Impa turned to see the flames and panicked. "Zelda!" She raced towards it, not knowing that the girl was far across the other end and was just as horrified.

"We need to get out of here, now!" Groose yelled and he and many of the knights within the tree ran out. Shadow almost joined them, until he saw that the little boy from earlier was frozen on the ground with fear.

"Why do I have to keep saving idiots?!" Shadow growled as he ran to the boy and grabbed him by his shirt collar. He immediately raced out to join the others, tossed the boy to a nearby knight and quickly took out his robe, which he put back on, before running out a safe distance from the tree.

"How can we quench the flames?!" Liam panicked.

"Hiya ha!" Wizzro laughed as he enjoyed the spectacle. "There's no way you'll be able to put out that fire!" I'll see you burned to a crisp!"

As Zelda and Proxy ran to the tree, Proxy suddenly flinched. "Oh... oh no. Not this presence." He trembled in terror.

"I can sense a Great Fairy!" Sunny cheered to Saria. "Maybe she can help us!"

Without a word, Saria and Sunny raced to the nearby fairy fountain. There, she found a gibdo.

With a grunt, Saria swung her spear at it. After a series of combos, she used the spear to form ice crystals which then broke and shattered into the gibdo, before she unleashed another series of attacks.

"Saria!" Liam joined the girl and sent a magic wall against the gibdo, who then perished. As quick as they could, the two entered the fountain, and without even stopping, Liam readied a magic circle while Saria began to pray.

"Great Fairy, please come to our aid!"

As quick as a flash, the Great Fairy came out of the fountain.

"Thank you!" Saria breathed in relief. "Can you put out the fire on the Great Deku Tree?"

"...Why is the Great Fairy dressed like a bee?" Sunny wondered, noticing the Great Fairy's clothing. (For some unusual reason, the Great Fairy's clothing sported stripes and tiny wings.)

"Not to worry, dear child!" The Great Fairy let out a booming laugh. "It is, but a mere annoyance for someone like me!" She threw her hands in the air and called out. "Come and pull the clouds from the sky and over the Great Deku Tree, my dears!"

-elsewhere-

"I refuse to see her, I refuse to see her, I refuse to see her-"

As Proxy chanted out his madness mantra, Zelda saw a flock of fairies fly up into the sky. They went to a set of clouds and took parts of them away, so that they could be placed over the tree.

And then, everyone within the forest suddenly heard the fairies chant out a familiar song as the clouds darkened and rain began to fall.

"The song of storms." Zelda breathed as the rain fell in heavy drops into the tree. As quickly as it came, the fire died and faded, and the rain cooled the tree until the angry red embers within died.

"And that's my cue to get out of here!" Shadow noticed that the clouds parted from the tree to allow sunbeams to escape from the blue sky and ran away to a less sunnier side of the village.

He quickly began to think: if the 'Wizzro' guy was anywhere nearby, then there was a good chance he would have a plan B, which meant... He noticed Bethany, who was quickly shaking the rain out of her hair. Perfect.

"You!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her away. "Come with me."

"Wha-?" Bethany gave him a stunned look. "Why?"

"Because I think we might still need an archer on hand, in case our shrieking violet wants to escape!"

As Saria and Liam ran out of the fountain, with Sunny trailing behind, Shadow came rushing by, along with Bethany, who was being practically dragged by the dark being.

"So then." Shadow addressed Saria. "Care to take your sweet revenge?"

Saria nodded and she and Sunny followed Shadow and Bethany, who headed north, leaving Liam to go find the others and help them. As soon as they entered a rather dark region to the north of the village, Shadow once again took his cloak off.

"'Bout time I got some air!" He complained.

Eventually, they came across Wizzro, who was unhappy about the change of events.

"You ruined the show!" He pointed an accusing finger at Saria.

"You almost destroyed my home!" Saria shot back as she readied her staff, while Sunny twitched her wings in anger. "And now, you're going to pay!"

This was not what Wizzro wanted- thankfully, he had an ace up his sleeve.

"As much as I want to play with you, little girl." Wizzro laughed. "I'm rather busy. But here's a history question: what killed the original Deku Tree?"

"A... Gohma?" Bethany struggled to remember. Wizzro's eye turned into a nasty grin as they felt the tree shake and heard a dull 'thunking' sound. "And guess whose coming to play?" He then disappeared, just as a huge spider like creature with one eye and armor to protect it appeared.

"...Ah, deku nuts." Bethany cursed. Meanwhile, Shadow began to quickly think up a strategy, based of what he recalled about gohmas. This one had a few advantages over the others, but it would be a cinch if they were careful.

"This is where you come in." Shadow addressed Bethany. "After Gohma shoots out it's lazer and it's eye turns blue- hit it!" He turned to Saria. "And that's when we strike!"

It was not an easy fight. Gohma tried to ambush them, and swipe at them with her appendages, forcing the trio to run away. Finally, it let out it's lazer from it's eyeball, and Shadow protected them by turning into the black mass, which solidified and blocked the lazer.

Quickly, Bethany readied her bow and moved up to see that Gohma's eye turned blue as it's vision slowly returned to normal. She sent an arrow at it, while Shadow returned to the darker form of Prince Link, and Gohma backed away in pain before it collapsed to the ground.

"Nice!" Bethany cheered.

"Now!" Shadow told Saria, who entered the fray.

The young girl gave Gohma a good smack-down. She recalled the history of the forest, and how a similar beast killed the last Great Deku Tree. But more importantly, she remembered the lost children of the Kokiri tribe, who were wiped out in a great battle. She swore that she would never let this happen to her village- they honored their memory, and she herself was named after one of those children.

"Oh no you don't!" Shadow noticed Gohma was struggling to get up and turned himself into the dark mass which swarmed around the creature. Tendrils escaped the mass and held onto it's appendages, which prevented it from flipping over, but gave the others a badly needed advantage.

She waved her staff and small deku tree sprouts rose from the ground.

"Don't you dare show your face here, ever again!" Saria snarled and waved the spear forward. The sprouts sent out a barrage of seeds and nuts at the eye, and they didn't stop until the beast let out a death cry and faded to black. As it exploded, the sprouts returned to the ground.

The mass moved towards the girls and rose up and changed it's shape until Shadow regained his borrowed form once more.

There was a moment before the two girls turned to Shadow. "How did you know about-" Bethany glanced to where Gohma used to be.

"I had a hunch." Shadow held a finger up before glancing to Saria. "And besides- who else should finish the job than the young leader of the village?"

Saria blinked in surprise, before smiling. "Thank you." She told him. "If you guys hadn't come, I don't know what could have happened."

"Saria!" Sunny cried out in happiness and flew to her companion. "It's over!"

"I know!" Saria's grimness completely faded away and she changed back to the mindset of her age as she laughed in happiness. "Did you see that, Sunny?! We took on a Gohma and I dealt the final blow!"

-*later*-

"Thank you." The blonde girl weakly told Winslow, who carefully carried her to where the wounded were. Liam was attending the injured and was healing them, and while there weren't too many that were harmed, it was clear that he would need help.

Winslow set the girl down as carefully as he could and examined her leg, which still had an arrow stuck in it. Thankfully, the tip wasn't poisoned.

"The mere idea that anyone would attack a child makes me sick." Winslow growled. "Especially those who hate children. It doesn't matter if it's man or woman, or any sort of race- they forget what it's like to be a child."

Fortunately, Liam was able to come to heal the girl, and the arrow had been carefully taken out. It was a nasty affair, and the poor girl had let out a cry of pain, but it was better than what could have happened.

"Oh Fado." Saria gasped and held a hand to her mouth as she saw what the poor girl had endured as she, Sunny, Bethany, and Shadow rejoined the others. It wasn't long until Impa came by, along with Zelda, Proxy, and Koji.

"Oh thank Nayru you are safe." Impa noticed Koji and smiled at the boy. "As much as I knew you could handle yourself, I had some concern as to what could have happened here."

The boy smiled at Impa's concern but hung his head. "I- I'm sorry, my Lady." He apologized. "But there is still no sign of the prince."

Impa's face fell. "I... I see."

"You must care very much about the prince." Zelda spoke as she pitied the General- the woman was fierce, but it appeared that her concern was even stronger than what was on the surface. "You are his general but, if you pardon, you regard him as a younger brother."

Impa looked at Zelda. "It is true." She admitted. "I consider my clan to be my family, and I am their leader, but I consider the Royal Family to be my own family. The happiness they gave me is a blessing, as a proud member who serves them." She then frowned. "Where could he be? Is he even safe?"

Zelda, having understood Impa a little better now, could only place a hand on her shoulder. "Wherever he is." She spoke. "I hope the goddesses are watching over him. There are too many loved ones who are missing him."

Had anyone noticed, they could have seen Shadow looking at them from his cloak, and for a very brief moment, the dark humor in the sinister red eyes was replaced with something else entirely. But just before anyone could notice, he then turned to Liam, who had just finished healing a wounded soldier.

"You owe us an explanation, White Sorcerer." He stated. "For all the grief this war has caused the General and her troops, they deserve some sort of answer."

Liam stood up and looked at Impa and Zelda- he had overheard their conversation, and he looked as if he knew something, but he sighed and nodded.

-*Inside the Great Deku Tree*-

Everyone- the knights, the captains, the Gorons, General Impa, Zelda, Proxy, and even Saria, Sunny and Shadow- had all gathered to listen to Liam's story.

"This will sound incredibly far-fetched and it might cause distraught." Liam spoke. "If you understand what it could possibly mean. But believe me when I say it is all true."

"As you know, my clan helps Hyrule however it can, without too much interference." Liam began. "Many of you know who we are- and of course, Lord Vaati, the Sorcerer of Winds, is a member of our tribe." He gave Impa and Zelda a smirk before resuming. "However, there is one role that has been passed among us to specific individuals. It is so sacred that the mere existence of this person is intentionally shrouded in mystery. Deep in the forests, far from the rest of Hyrule, one of the sorcerers and sorceresses has a duty to watch over the balance of the Triforce. This sorcerer, is Ceiya.

Ceiya is stronger than us, and he can see across the ages and can read the fates of all who lived. He can see the eras that have long since past, and he can see specific souls who have been reincarnated throughout time." He glanced around. "Some of you, he has seen before- in fact, I see many faces who have been reincarnated into this era within this room, and you all have payed some contribution to our history."

There was a few gasps of amazement and even chuckling, but some just shook their heads.

"Ceiya's duty is a lonely one. He has lived far from us- cut off from civilization- and he cannot interfere with the timelines. That is the curse of being the Guardian of Time." Liam paused and took a deep breath.

"When he was gazing through time, a certain soul caught Ceiya's attention... Someone who is destined to always be reborn in the darkest of times. As he watched this soul, he saw that it would always endure great hardships, but it would always endure- a beautiful, shining soul filled with wisdom, courage, and compassion." A goofy, romantic look, could be seen in Liam's eyes.

"This is going where I think it is, isn't it?" Aaron quietly grumbled to his friend.

"However, this soul is usually bound to another soul- and yes, you could say that they are supposed to be soul mates." Liam admitted before he began to frown.

"Somehow... something... something extremely dark had found him. And it convinced him to forsake his duty and push away the light in his heart, so he could lay claim upon the soul and have this person for himself. What was once a great man now carries a dark desperation to have what he wants. And if Hyrule is to be overthrown, then so be it."

Liam looked up. "In order to accomplish his goal, Ceiya is going to completely open the Gate of Souls- the doorway to time itself. He is bringing monsters from across different time periods, but I fear that he is going to do something far worse- something that will destroy the timeline, if we don't act fast."

"If time is destroyed," Saria was the first to speak out everyone's realization. "Then our existence could perish."

"And so many events could be altered." Geode realized as well. "Any simple victory Hyrule has had, could be undone in an instant!"

"So many lives are going to be ruined!" Proxy shared a worried look with Zelda.

"And who knows what else could happen." Winslow's gaze darkened.

"That's why I need all your help!" Liam frantically told them. "You know what will happen, and if we don't act fast, something even worse than the timeline's destruction could occur, and I'm afraid it started as soon as Ceiya listened to the darkness!"

"So then," Impa stood up and held onto her sword. "Where is he?"

"His base is at the Valley of Seers." Liam told them. "So far, monsters are still pouring out of the Gate, and we have an advantage if we close it."

"Then it's settled." Impa looked around the room. "We must go to the Valley of Seers. For now, we must rest up- I'm sure many of you need food and rest, before we can finish this."

"There's one more thing." Liam warned her. "Ceiya is also after the Triforce. I understand that it's been awhile since it has been whole, but those who own the pieces are going to be targets."

Impa realized exactly what he meant- one fraction of the Triforce belonged to the Royal Family, and the prince carried that fraction within him.

What nobody realized, was that someone who had stopped by the village had listened in on the conversation. As soon as she heard this last bit, she darted away and hid from sight.

"Please no," She begged as she rested against a wooden crate. She raised her head to the sky. "If this 'Ceiya is after the Triforce then-" Her gaze darkened. "Then I'll just have to kill him before he can complete it."

-later-

And so, everyone took their rest and wondered just what would happen, when they would go to the Valley of Seers. Some rested in the village, while others- like Orik an Geode- were resting down below.

"Great- one more nutjob this kingdom has to deal with." Orik sighed as Geode examined the fire rod in his hand- neither realized that Liam was approaching them. "And it had to be a jealous admirer to boot."

Liam almost said something, but changed his mind when he saw Geode examine the staff. "You know-" He began and the two Gorons turned to face him. "Of the many elements, those who are more attuned to fire will have an easier time using it. And unless I am wrong, the Gorons are more in touch with the earth and fire, so there's a good chance you can use it."

"Really?" Geode was interested.

"Of course." Liam grinned. "If you want, we can give it a try."

"I-" Geode frowned. "I don't know if I can-"

"There's no knowing until you at least give it a try." Liam encouraged him. "Sometimes the effort to at least try can say a lot more about someone than actually doing it."

Near the village was a small clearing, where a waterfall from a cliff poured into a pond that was connected to the stream that lead to the village. It was one of the few places where sunlight escaped through the tree tops and gave the clearing a serene sort of peace.

It was here where Zelda could remove most of her outer gear, while Saria relaxed on a tree stump, and Bethany took a few pictures of the location. Both Proxy and Sunny were happily catching up on old times.

"I'll let them know where you guys are." Bethany promised before she headed back to the camp. It was at this point, Saria took out a clay ocarina and began to play a song.

Zelda listened to it with a smile before she began to sing along to it.

" _Run away, run away, run away and let's play all day."_ She sang. _"Let's play all day. In the forest, through the trees, we shall dance and sing... and run from bees."_

"Are you just making it up?" Saria stopped playing and raised her eyebrow at Zelda, who gave her a sheepish smile.

"No, please keep singing!" A voice joined in.

The girls looked to see that three creatures had joined them: a kangaroo, a large blue bear with small wings, and a small red dodongo with a broken horn. Zelda beamed and practically glided towards them. "I haven't seen you in ages!" She hugged each one of them. "And I see you've been eating too many bananas again." She addressed the bear, who only let out a big yawn.

"So you know Ricky, Dimitri, and Moosh?" Saria asked.

"Ever since I was ten." Zelda explained. "My family used to travel near here in the summer."

"It's good you hear you sing again!" Ricky (the kangaroo) happily told her. "You must have learned a lot of new songs since we last hung out together."

Zelda bit her lip. "Well... not quite."

"Can you please sing for us?" Dimitri kindly asked. "Anything will do."

Zelda thought of a song, took a deep breath and began to sing.

" _Long ago... in a time since lost. When all the dark... covered the land... they once spoke... of a hero of the light."_

Saria recognized what song she was singing and joined in on the ocarina while the animal trio listened on. As for Zelda, a passion she thought was gone retuned and filled her being with a lightness she hadn't felt in awhile. _"When all hope seems lost... take courage and stand."_

At this point, Shadow had been aimlessly walking around the forest. This particular area was shaded, and he wasn't wearing his cloak, so he thought he would get a moment of relaxation, until he heard the singing, and recognized whose voice it belonged to. In curiosity, he searched, until he came upon the clearing and saw who was singing. Wishing to hear more, he stood against the tree, and out of the sunlight of the clearing.

" _Draw strength from your heart... to protect the land. And return the hope that was lost."_ Zelda continued to sing and briefly noticed Shadow. A smile escaped her as she continued to sing with more passion.

" _Oh hero, take up your arms. Conquer all fear... to face the dark. Light will guide your way... you will make your mark. Just have faith inside... and you shall go far."_

Zelda slowly approached Shadow as she became drawn into her music. Without realizing it, she was captivating the dark being and, as if possessed, he slowly moved away from the tree. At the same time, Zelda repeated the chorus.

 _When all hope seems lost... take courage and stand. Draw strength from your heart... to protect the land."_

At that point Shadow was just mere feet away from Zelda- two more steps, and he would be in the clearing.

" _And return the hope that was-"_

At that point, Shadow stepped almost completely into the sunlight. The second he did, a sinister sizzling sound could be heard and he let out a horrible hissing noise as he cringed and backed away into the shadows as fast as he could. He held onto himself as tightly as he could and began to violently twitch and shudder, as if he were cold.

"Are you ok?" Zelda ceased ceasing and looked on concern. To her shock, parts of Shadow's skin had blackened and let out smoke. "You're burnt!" Zelda rushed to Shadow and pulled a shivering arm from his body. "Here, let me fix that!" She tried to pull him to the water, but the second his arm was exposed to the light, the sizzling could be heard and his skin began turning black- causing him to cry out in pain.

Zelda quickly let go and allowed Shadow to clutch his arm as he collapsed to the ground, while she, Saria, and the animals looked on in confusion. Like a pathetic creature, he quickly crawled back to the shadows and didn't stop until he knew that the sun wouldn't reach him.

"...Sunlight-" He hissed at her. "-is painful to me."

Zelda then realized why he had been wearing the cloak all that time. "I'm sorry." She hung her head and apologized. "You should have told me."

"I'll see if there's anything that could help." Saria quickly leapt off her stump and ran to the camp, followed by the animals.

"How long will the pain last?" Zelda cautiously sat beside Shadow as he tried to fight off the pain, while the smoke began to die away, but the blackened marks remained.

"This amount of exposure will fade away after an hour." Shadow managed to sigh in irritation. "One of the joys of being a creature of darkness like me is that you can't walk amongst the world of light."

"...You speak as if you wish to be a part of it." Zelda noted.

Shadow let out a frustrated laugh. "Instead of dwelling on my woes, why don't you tell me the reason as to why you aren't out performing with a voice as lovely as yours. It'll do a lot more good than whatever that charming young lady will find."

Zelda drew her knees up and rested her arms on them. "Well... I wanted to be a singer." She confessed. "I wanted to sing and travel the lands, ever since I was a child. I wanted to be just like the past heroes, and live a life of excitement and fun." She laughed. "I read all the stories and I believed that one day, I too would wield the Master Sword and become a great hero. I wanted to be the kind who would sing for everyone and make up my own songs, and maybe even travel the world!" She threw her arms out as she giggled. "I'd sail the seas, ride across the lands, and find a great destiny!"

She sighed and dropped her arms. "But... we live in an age of peace. I've studied music, and I can play the harp and the ocarina, but I'm not good enough to be in the town Opera house, and I can't make much as a street performer. My only option was to put the skills of the sword that my father taught me to good use. My parents love that I had a dream, but they think I should be more realistic and- why am I even telling you all of this?" Zelda let go of her legs and turned her head to Shadow in confusion. "I don't even know you that well."

She sighed again. "I wonder if my destiny was to prevent time from being destroyed. This is far beyond even my wildest imagination." The sheer idea was a little overwhelming for her, and it was showing all too clearly for her companion. "I mean, I just turned eighteen, and I already have fate thrusted at me!"

Shadow had finally managed to calm down and the burns he bore slowly faded to brown. "You really don't belong here, princess." He told her. "The army only shares one set of dreams. Still..." His eyes softened. "You shouldn't give your's up: you're living them out, right now. There's just one problem."

He reached to the mirror with a slightly trembling hand and it went through the surface. After slight rummaging, he finally pulled out a small, beautiful harp that looked almost exactly like the fabled harp of Hylia.

"It's a replica." He quickly began as he held it out for her. "But if you soothe the souls of the knights with a little music, you will be able to do what you love. And besides-" He added with a smirk. "With a voice that beautiful, you'll never know who you'll charm to your side."

Zelda was taken by surprise by Shadow's gift and words. Still, Zelda was moved by his kindness, and accepted his gift with a smile and a soft "Thank you- but, why would you-"

"Trust me when I say that there is only one person that I will ever be entirely honest with." Shadow interrupted as he held a hand out. "You aren't that person, but I'm a sucker for the dreamers, and you're special, seeing as you have all these expectations stacked against you. So I think you deserve to be the person you want to be."

-?-

A man garbed in a combination of black, purple, gold, and metal watched this exchange from an image that was projected by a staff- or, more accurately, a scepter.

He appeared to be exceptionally vain as well as greedy- his outfit was designed to capture attention, and was not only inlaid with gold, but he left his chest and torso exposed, which revealed a bronzed and well sculpted, form, while a sort of half-cape surrounded his legs. His armor included a slightly unusual collar that bore scarlet feathers that emphasized his facial features- or what was shown.

White hair peaked out from a headdress, and a bird like mask covered the upper half of his face, which did little to hide the rage that was boiling within.

"So," He softly began. "You- a pathetic shadow who couldn't even stand in the light- think can dare lay claim on what I desire?"

He snatched the scepter up, and the image vanished. "No demon king." He snarled. "No beloved companion, no arrogant god, no evil trick of fate, no part of the Triforce, no prince- and _certainly_ no shadow will have her! This time- _this_ time-!" He declared as he held the scepter high in the air. "She will be mine to possess!"

* * *

" _...Guessss who?!"_

A pixie like girl with a blonde braid and bangs popped up from almost out of nowhere and beamed at the reader. "I told you guys I'd be back!... Oh, wait, some of you don't know who I am."

"I'm Lexi!" She greeted. "And I'm the gale boomerang in this AU! And it's my job to... pretty much do absolutely nothing, if Twilight Twists was any indication. Now let's read off those notes:" She produced a sheet of paper and read what it said:

" _-Watch me fly." Is a call back to Twilight Twists- specifically, chapter 12._

 _-I know that in some countries, the fourth level is called Lanaryu Gorge, but I am going with the English version of it's name._

 _-First lyrics to a song is this Zelda's version of Saria's song. The second set of lyrics is to Ancient Hero (AKA the remix of the Legendary Hero from Wind Waker)._

 _-The animal trio are from the Oracle Series, and I wanted to pay my respect to those games. :)_

 _-Shadow's weakness to light comes from the manga. Luckily the next level of the game has cloudy weather, so he will be able to have free reign once more._

 _-I think I was inspired by 'Who I'd Be' from the Shrek musical when I had Zelda's moment with Shadow in mind._

 _-Check my DeviantArt Account (tornrose24) to see how Liam and Ceiya look, if you haven't already._

 _-...Dun, dun DUUUUUUUNNNN! Shadow is landing himself in some serious trouble without realizing it!... Kind of feels weird that it's technically Cia lusting after Zelda while putting the hate on Link this time._

"And that's it!" Lexi smiled. "See y'all next chapter! I hear they might have the... _time_ of their life!"


	4. In which time was shredded to bits

**AMaeJay:** I am! :) In fact, their role swap artwork of Ghirahim and Fi was what gave me the idea of Skyward Swaps in the first place. I am REALLY curious as to what those head cannons are- it's nice to hear from you, and I'm glad you put school first (by the sound of things.)

 **HeroAlexa249:** LOL- I choose the name Geode because I thought the symbology would fit the character (other than the rock theme). Midna will be in her true form, and I can't wait to reintroduce her in this story! Also- JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER AND THEN I CAN RE-VISIT MY FAVORITE WARRIOR TO USE...err... yeah.

Lexi: OMG- HIIIIIIIIII! I missed you guys! I missed you HeroAlexa249!

Me: She really did. :)

 **PsycoFangirl** : Uh... I'm kind of eager to get this first arc out of the way, and I may take a break before getting to the one coming up in the next chapter. :(

Also, the animals were just in for a cameo, but I adore them and my favorite is Dimitri, because he's so cool.

Lexi: I CAN MAKE PUNS TOO! I CAN BE AS PUNNY AS DARUNIA!

Me: Lexi, shush!

* * *

 **Chapter four: In which time was shredded to bits**

Finally, after enough rest, the troops headed towards the Valley of Seers.

As they approached, it became clear that something was wrong- the sky had turned red, yellow and black over the valley.

"That doesn't look good." Zelda noted, before she spoke to Liam. "Is the Gate of Souls that powerful?"

"If Ceiya had a strong power source, I would guess that he could even be able to travel through the realms of time itself, if he so desired." Liam confessed.

Elsewhere, Shadow (who was still cloaked, but was hoping to be able to soon leave behind his barrier of protection) turned to Saria, who walked next to him. "You didn't have to come with us, ya know." He pointed out.

"I want to see if I can be of any help." Saria admitted as Sunny flew onto the top of her head. She took a set of boomerangs out of her bag. "Besides- you never know what you'll face."

"So-" Orik looked at Geode, who was examining the fire rod. "You think your going to use that yet?"

"I... suppose." Geode was thoughtful. "Maybe I can try to protect our base when we set it up- it might make good practice."

Around this point, Zelda noticed that one of the captains- the young sheikah boy- seemed to be glancing around their surroundings, and even Impa noticed.

"Do you sense it, Lady Impa?" Koji asked. "Someone has been following us. They're trying to keep their distance, but I can feel their gaze upon us."

"Where?" Impa demanded. "Where are they?"

Liam closed his eyes. "It's growing faint, but I can sense their shadow is close by... I'm picking up something to the east. Something similar to a Hylian."

As soon as the ominous sky expanded and the knights managed to leave the sun covered land, Shadow finally ripped his cloak off and stuffed it into his mirror. "Well, I'll go look for ya'll!" He cheerfully told the two sheikah tribesmen, before shifting into the mass of darkness that quickly flew up a rocky wall and went over it.

"Something's off about him." Koji wondered as he crossed his arms. "I sense nothing but darkness in his presence. I can't read him that well."

As Zelda looked on in confusion, Impa explained. "The sheikah are trained to be one with the shadows, and some are so well attuned to it that they can sense them."

Just then, a loud shrieking sound could be heard from where Shadow went.

Everyone turned around in alarm and watched as the dark mass went back over the rocks and stopped in front of the captains and General. It turned into a Like-Like ("Oh Nayru, hide your shields!" Someone yelled.) which shuffled and then ejected a female out of it's abyss of a mouth. The young woman let out a cry that was cut short the second she landed in a belly flop style onto the ground in front of the General.

Almost immediately, Ashei and Winslow took on the job to pick up the woman by her arms and hoisted herself up, just as Shadow changed back. "Goddesses, she tastes like sand!" He spat.

"Who are you?!" Impa's gaze hardened as she reached for her sword. The young woman looked up and everyone then realized that she was a Gerudo from the desert: she had the characteristic tan skin, flaming red hair, and a pair of scimitars at her back, in addition to the attire jewelry, and bejeweled headpiece.

"What the heck's your problem, you freak?!" The Gerudo spat in disgust at Shadow, who merely shrugged and made a 'Meh' noise.

"Wait a moment." Liam stepped forward to examine the girl. "...You... you're name isn't Nabooru of the Gerudo by any chance is it?"

"So?" The Gerudo spat. "What of it?"

Liam was surprised at this, but calmed down. "Why are you stalking us?"

"Oh take a guess blue-boy!" Nabooru snarled. "I heard what you said about this 'Ceiya' collecting the Triforce pieces back at the village. I'm going to kill him before he finds the owners and finishes the job!"

"Why- _oh_..." Liam seemed to quickly catch on. He then sighed. "Could someone tie her up? She's not going to cooperate with us."

"Are you nuts?!" Nabrooru snapped. "You're going to let him live and-"

"We are not going to go to that extent, and trust me when I say that your way might make things worse."

-*stage 4*-

"Oh?" Ceiya looked out across the valley and his temple to see that the knights have arrived. "Have they come with their precious hero to defeat us?"

He turned to Volga, who readied his spear. "Wizzro has done enough damage, so it's your turn. Do as you please, but spare the hero, or else I'll turn your hide into my jacket." He warned.

"As long as one of them puts up a good fight, I shouldn't be too bored." Volga growled to the Sorcerer. "But do not blame me if I accidentally scorch her alive."

Across the valley, the knights moved up to the front, while the Gorons stayed at the base.

"He should be at the top of the ruins." Liam spoke. "Take him out, and then we will be able to stop the flow of monsters. "Now there should be some keeps lying around-"

"-And so we take them to get a foothold over the enemy." Shadow finished. "That's not bad."

Liam smiled. "We should spilt into two groups. Whose with me?"

"Perhaps the General and I will claim the east." Shadow provided.

"I'll join you, Liam." Zelda determinedly joined as Proxy floated beside her. "Proxy and Sunny will keep an eye out and let us know when we accomplished that."

 _Why should we trust Shadow?_ Impa wondered as she gazed at Shadow- despite all he had done, she still had many reasons to distrust him. She finally spoke out. "I think Shadow can manage a keep on his own. I will put my use elsewhere."

"...Well, if that's what you want." Shadow shrugged. "Nice to know you at least have faith in my skills."

"Hey-HEY!"

Everyone turned to see Nabooru sitting on the ground- her wrists and feet were tied up, and two Gorons stood at her side, while her weapons were placed in a corner of the base. "Let me help!" She pleaded. "I can be of use to you!"

"I'm sorry, but I have no reason to trust you over anyone else, no matter how dubious." Liam apologized to her before turning back.

 _Did that bookworm just insult me?_ Shadow growled and bared his sharp teeth at the White Sorcerer.

"Now then!" Impa took her sword out. "ONWARD!

-*minutes later*-

Ceiya watched in amusement at the knights who were trying to reach him. To see an actual battle before his eyes, instead of what was projected from the scepter was more satisfying, knowing that he could also have a hand in this.

He looked to the west: while the White Sorcerer was taking a keep by using walls of electrically charged magic against the bokoblins, the Hero Reborn was leading her men towards a keep that lead to a pathway to the ruins. He appreciated how eager she was to reach him, but the pathway was going to remain sealed as is.

He looked across to the west to see that the infuriating creature of darkness had cloned himself within the eastern keep and was hacking away at the monsters within it's walls. Impressive, but annoying.

He had seen that face before- not the face that the creature was borrowing, but he knew that there were supposed to be other versions of that _thing_. Especially in the timelines of what could have been, up to this point. (Among which his hero was supposed to be the rightful princess of this kingdom, but he had also seen her as a simple peasant or even a tyrant in the many potential threads of time.) There was something about this creature that was screaming out a warning to Ceiya, but what _was_ it?

He then noticed that Volga was heading towards the general and he grinned- this could actually be fun.

Impa raced towards the ruins, until Volga leapt into her way.

"YOU!" Impa roared and took her sword out. This only made Volga grin.

"General Impa of the Hyrulean Army." He greeted her as he swung his spear out. "Leader of the Sheikah Clan and the most deadly female warrior of this era- it's an honor to face you."

"Why do you side with this nonsense?!" Impa snarled. "Your clan was once close friends with the Royal Family- almost enough to be considered family- and the Sheikah respected you!"

Volga snarled. "When the family saw us as nothing but lapdogs to rely upon- that is enough to have reason to fight, besides the endless glory that has been offered for me!"

"Your glory is going to end on my blade!" Impa charged at Volga, who then rushed at her in response.

Ceiya laughed as the two warriors clashed their weapons in fierce battle, while the others were blissfully unaware as to what was going on. If Volga injured the General, it would be a welcome- one less major person to worry about.

"Shadow's finished!" Sunny told Liam as she and Proxy flew to the Sorcerer. "But Zelda says the way to enter from the west is closed off," Proxy told him. "And there is a huge gap on the other side. We need a way to cross!" Sunny finished

"Isn't one of the knights an engineer?" Liam asked. "Send for him, and I'll clear one of the remaining keeps, for the sake of things!"

"Got it!" Proxy flew off, while Sunny went to contact the others.

At the allied base, the Gorons prepared for the oncoming monsters that were steadily approaching them, while Groose stared at Nabrooru, who stared right back.

"So," She began. "Skin tone aside, you could pass for one of us. Did your dad ever-"

"Look, I've been insulted too many times today!" Groose snapped at her. "The last thing I need is for you to ask if I'm-"

"Groose!" Proxy cried out and rushed into the base. "We need your help to cross a gap! Can you build a bridge if I lead the way?!"

Groose's anger melted to a grin and he slammed a hand onto his arm as he shouted a big "YES!" He then charged ahead with surprisingly fast speed- he was practically kicking up dirt clouds in his wake.

"Wait up!" Proxy protested as he tried to fly after the large man.

Nabooru rolled her eyes as she kicked into one of the clay pots the army somehow left around. She watched as the Gorons immediately ran to battle, before picking up a clay shard with her mouth and brought it to her wrists.

"NOW GEODE!" One of the Gorons yelled to Geode, who nervously gulped as he held the fire rod in front of him. He recalled what Liam told him and as soon as the monsters were close enough, he swung the rod out before holding it out and allowed it to let out a spray of jets of flame. Every monster that was unlucky was caught in the blast and was set ablaze, while the Gorons safely went around Geode to take care of the rest.

"That's amazing, little brother!" Orik beamed, and Geode let out a shaky, yet incredibly happy laugh- for once, he managed to do something that was pretty amazing!

"Good on him." Nabooru smiled as she finally managed to collect her scimitars and ran in the direction of Groose's pathway.

At that time, Liam came across Impa, who was still fighting with Volga. As much as he wanted to help, he knew he had to clear the way for the engineer- too many monsters were getting close to the pathway- so he went on ahead.

The fight against Volga was a tough one for Impa because, despite her skills, Volga had the advantage of certain long ranged attacks- specifically, the fire that he spewed out of his mouth.

"I see you are not a fair fighter!" Impa grunted.

"On the contrary, General!" Volga boasted when he was done with his attack. "The fact that I must use such attacks says that you are an opponent worthy of my time!"

Impa growled and readied her sword as Volga continued. "Truly, this day could not get any better." He got ready again and swung out at Impa, who dodged.

"Hey fire-breath!"

Volga sharply turned his head to see Nabooru swing her scimitars before crossing them and finally holding them out, before giving him a wink. "How about some good old Gerudo warrior on the side?"

As Impa shot Nabooru a surprised look, Volga grinned. "I suppose I might enjoy that."

"HEYAH!" Nabooru cried and ran at Volga, before she leapt and twirled her scimitars out, like a deadly pinwheel that could kill you if you were stupid enough.

Meanwhile...

"Got it!" Groose laughed as a bridge finally fell across the gap. "There's nothing your old pal Groose can do!"

 _How was that even possible?!_ Proxy had a hard time focusing or comprehending things at the moment. _It's like it magically appeared out of thin air!_

"Thanks!" Liam ran on ahead, across the bridge, and was soon joined by a few knights. He saw a set of vines blocking his way- similar to the ones that blocked off the closed front gates- and readied his boomerang.

"I owe you, boomerang." He grinned and gave it a toss at the vines. It cut through them and they died, and left Liam and the others to go on ahead.

There wasn't much to worry about- sure, there was a keep that the soldiers took care off, and a couple of summoners that ran on ahead, in addition to the gatekeeper, but Liam knew the summoners would be taken care of and as soon as the gatekeeper had been slain, the front gates finally opened.

To the relief of Shadow.

"Finally!" Shadow roared as he thrusted a hand into his chest, where black smoke erupted. "I want to get this over with!" He pulled his hand out and let go of a section of darkness which shifted and grew until it became a pitch black horse with ominous red eyes.

As quickly as he could, Shadow leapt onto it and the dark horse immediately ran where it's master wanted it to go- just as Zelda turned to see him coming, he grabbed onto the girl and pulled her up onto the horse with an inhuman strength that shouldn't have been possible for the person he was copying the form of.

"You better hold on, princess!" Shadow warned the girl, who quickly latched onto him. "I ain't saving your hide from your own carelessness again!"

"How is the horse even obeying you?!" Zelda demanded to Shadow as it began galloping up the first staircase to the alter.

"It's a part of my body, so it's technically me!" Was the answer that Zelda was given, and was not something she wanted to dwell on. Zelda had no other choice than to watch as the dark horse managed to gallop past Liam (despite having a head start) and ran into one of the keeps.

However, as soon as they entered, the gates started to close and Shadow huffed. "Fine." He leapt of the horse and mentally commanded it to speed past the gate, before it could close.

"What are you-" Zelda turned around as the horse came to a stop. It suddenly began to tremble and she felt it shrink under her, until it returned into a shapeless form that rejoined the rest of it's original body.

"GO!" Shadow yelled at Zelda as the monsters came closing in on him, and she wasted no time in taking her sword out and charged at the remaining beasts.

As Zelda made her way, Shadow turned to the monsters and grinned, just before his body shifted into the darkness and immediately went over the beasts like a title wave, before swallowing them up.

Zelda hurried up the steps to see Ceiya at a strange portal of runes and dark magic- from this portal, black smoke escaped to the ground to produce various monsters, who moved past Zelda and into the battle.

"What you're doing is going to destroy Hyrule!" Zelda protested as she ran towards him. "Your own existence could be in jeopardy!"

"I had a feeling you would eventually come to me." Ceiya turned around to face Zelda and grinned at her. "It's not every era that one of Hyrule's fated children shows up. Especially if it's the hero."

Zelda held her sword out - if what Liam said was true, then it was likely that there would be no more reasoning with this man. Amused, the dark sorcerer held his hand out and produced a small golden triangle that floated in his hand. "Now let's see..." he began as Zelda recognized the relic- it was none other than a part of the Triforce.

The golden triangle let out an ethereal ringing sound, which made Ceiya pleased. "I see you carry a part of the Triforce with you- as expected, dear Zelda."

"Sorry I'm late!" Shadow panted as he caught up to Zelda from behind and bent over. "Absorbing a bunch of monsters and crushing their bones is like the equivalent of bad digestion!" He glanced to Ceiya and smirked. "So this is the bad guy of the week? Looks like someone who likes show the goods off- if you know what I mean." He snickered as he eyed Ceiya's lack of any sort of shirt, and other things that had been given a bit of an emphasis.

Ceiya scowled at Shadow, before glancing at the Triforce piece in shock. "...Two?" A smile crossed his face. "Oh, of _course_..."

He clutched the Triforce in his fist and the light died. "Well-" He chuckled and slowly backed away. "That's certainly good news for me!"

He quickly turned around- clothing spinning around his legs- and held his arms out in front of the portal. "Come forth, servant!" He cried out. "Crush the knights of Hyrule and their comrades!"

A large cloud of smoke escaped the portal and soared over the building and into the ground, amidst the fighting. At the same time, Ceiya disappeared, just as Zelda and Shadow watched to see what would happen.

The moment the darkness touched the ground, a great plant like monster with four heads, with a bud shaped core and a metallic shell bursted from the ground. It let out a triumphant shriek, that made all the knights turn around in shock at the new addition.

"Oh, joy!" Shadow clapped his hands together in mock eagerness. "He want's us to do his gardening!"

Zelda let out a gasp and made to run, but Shadow quickly grabbed her arm. "Wait a moment." He spoke. "Let's see how well the army can do without us."

"But I-" Zelda protested. "We can't just stay here! Please let me go!"

"I'm sure the world can survive without all of your contributions."

Elsewhere, Volga blocked one of Nabooru's attacks with his spear and growled in irritation. "I'm afraid I must cut this short." He then ran off, while Impa and Nabooru turned to see what monster just rose out.

"It's a manhandla!" Saria yelled as she raced towards it. "Those with boomerangs come and fight it!"

"...Manhandla?" Aaron shot a confused look at the plant. "... _Seriously_? Who thought that was a good name?!"

One of the heads of the manhandla rose up, opened it's mouth, and shot out a huge projectile that soared across the valley and towards the base.

"INCOMING!" The Gorons frantically scrambled for safety as the projectile crashed into the base.

"Attack it when it turns green!" Saria yelled to the others as Liam joined her side. "Have patience!"

Sensing that someone was there, the manhandla made the questionable choice of not only turning all of it's heads green, but placed them in a perfectly straight row for Liam to toss the boomerang out at it. The boomerang knocked each head unconscious and the main body trembled before it turned green and revealed a jewel like core.

"GET IT!" Liam yelled as everyone tried their hardest to attack the core while the plant was still down and he himself sent out waves of magic and pages that scattered from his book. This task mainly fell to him and Saria, because it was hard to get a clear shot and Impa and Nabooru were forced to wait.

"See?" Shadow told Zelda from their position. "Also, next time you have to be prepared to be tough and not take no for an answer as a commander."

"You could have let me go!" Zelda snapped.

"You can't always use sweetness with everyone you meet, princess. This isn't a one-man job."

The manhandla trembled and covered it's core, and everyone who was smart enough, ran away before it could counter attack as it regained consciousness. In anger, it dove into the ground and for one moment, it seemed that they won.

"Find it's heads!" Liam yelled at the others. "It's going to sprout it's heads up from the ground and attack the base. Find the main head!"

To everyone's confusion, the heads somehow had extended throughout the valley, away from the main core- not only that, but it was later discovered that a fifth head somehow grew out of the ground.

Of course, with everyone's combined contribution, each head was taken out, until the main head was uncovered in the west, and the manhandla rose out from the ground.

"I'm getting real sick of this!" One of the knights complained as the western group charged at the manhandla, but then the heads grouped together and sent out a spray of seeds at them. Only Saria was able to pull out a wooden shield in time and was able to block the barrage, and Liam had quickly dodged out of the way.

As soon as this happened, the heads turned green, but this time, there was two people it had to deal with, and once again a set of boomerangs knocked it unconscious. However, everyone was getting desperate, and Liam was no exception. He quickly leapt high into the air and casted a spell onto his feet, before proceeding to kick right into the core and finished the job.

The plant let out a shrieking death cry, before it collapsed and turned black.

"Finally!" Liam huffed. "Now we can finish this!"

-*minutes later*-

"Hey there!" Shadow waved at Liam and Impa as they came towards them. "Nice job out there! See!" He told Zelda. "They didn't need our help!"

Zelda shot him a dark glare as Impa glanced at the alter. "This is what has been causing so much trouble?" She wondered.

Liam nodded. "Just let me seal it off, and then we have our advantage." He turned to Zelda. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." She replied and took a step-

-only to activate a dark circle on the ground that expanded out to the others and froze their feet to the spot- all but Liam who instinctively jumped out of it.

'The heck-?" Shadow threw a dirty look at Liam as the others struggled to get out, but were unable to do so, as if their feet were now one with the floor. "Was this some kind of trick?!"

At that moment, Zelda felt a familiar warmth upon her hand and held it up- there, the mark of the Triforce was glowing in all it's brilliance.

"Uh-oh." Zelda glanced to Shadow- only to see something completely unexpected.

Upon the back of the hand he was looking at, was a similar marking.

"That's the mark of the Triforce of-" Impa stared in horror. Even Liam was surprised by this. "That's-!" He began.

Without any warning, Zelda watched as the mark suddenly changed shape and flew off her hand- it turned into a golden triangle, along with the one that came from Shadow's own hand.

Ceiya rematerialized from purple and black flames, in front of the Gate of Souls. With a hand that was glowing, he reached out as the triangles flew towards him and as soon as they were close enough and shrank in size, he seized them and a ringing sound could be heard.

"How nice of you to spare me the trouble of looking for the Triforce of Wisdom." Ceiya chuckled. At that point, the curse upon the general, the hero, and the dark being dispelled, and they were free to move, but the trouble was far from over.

Ceiya held his hand out to reveal the three golden triangles, which hovered and shined in their splendor. "I now have the entire set." He grinned at them as a purple wave of energy began to escape his being. He held his arms out and allowed the triangles to rise and take their true from in front of them- the Triforce itself.

"Behold the majesty of the completed Triforce!" Ceiya boasted. "And now, it shall grant my wish- this time, time itself is to be _my_ slave!"

"We have to get out of here!" Liam yelled at the others. "There's nothing we can do!"

Having no other option when their enemy held the Triforce, the group was forced to run away from the alter and towards their waiting troops.

For Ceiya, it was oh-so satisfying to see them cower in fear.

" _Excellent._ " A deep voice that only Ceiya could hear, chuckled. " _Does it not feel glorious?"_

"Yes!" Ceiya hissed in pleasure.

" _The time to call the fragments of my spirit is NOW!"_ The voice commanded.

"Yes..." Ceiya's arms rose as the eyes of his mask began to glow. "I can feel them seeking me out- screaming for the sweet release!" He rose his arms out to the sky as a pillar of dark magic rose up and he let out a terrific yell into the heavens.

Meanwhile, the side of light was frantically hurrying to get away from the temple. The order to retreat reached every corner of the valley, and the soldiers abandoned their position to join the others. all the while, the light from the temple began to flash and the sky darkened with ominous clouds.

The initial four turned to see the column rise into the sky and flash, before an enormous dirt cloud exploded out. What really became the greatest concern was the wave of purple magic that escaped outward and began to spread towards the group at a fast pace.

"EVERYONE GET OVER HERE, NOW!" Liam yelled. Everyone- all the soldiers, Gorons, and those who joined their cause- scrambled towards the young man, and were forced to put their faith in him, after all that was happening. In return, Liam tossed the book into the sky as high as he could and it sent out a blue-white light that erupted and expanded over the soldiers before he could leap up, grab onto it and slam his hand into the ground. The end result created a large dome that blocked off the oncoming debris and the dark wave of magic.

"What's happening?!" Bethany yelled as everyone saw the world outside their protection flicker and they could hear the deep sound of something like a clock ticking away the time.

-*Hyrule Castle*-

Up upon a high tower, where one could see all of Hyrule, a lesson was being conducted.

Aryll glanced at the pots ahead of her, held up the white baton and took a deep breath.

Then, with an elegance expected of a lady of her status, she waved the baton- each wave producing a gale of wind and a magical white line- and formed a perfect triangle before she gave the baton a good thrust into the air.

All the pots shattered by the burst of magical wind.

Proud of herself, Aryll turned to her tutor. "Did you see that Vaati?" She grinned as the man looked at her in keen interest.

"The element of wind isn't so easily controlled." Vaati spoke. "And yet, it flows out of you, as if it were a natural part of your being."

"Like you!" Aryll pointed out and then held the baton up. "I can't wait to learn how to fly upon the wind like you. Gliding is fun, but I wan't to be like the seagulls and fly over oceans!"

"You're almost there." Vaati admitted. "And you may not even need to rely Farore's Wind, like your brother does. But if you showed a little more effort in other forms of magic, like him-"

"If you guys controlled the wind all the time, then what about when we need it out on the sea?"

Vaati scowled as he sensed a certain someone nearby. "I see you have nothing better to do, sailor."

Linebeck continued speaking from his view on the opposite end of the tower, without looking at them. "Besides, what good will a little breeze do? Why not teach her that stuff your known for and let her create storms to protect the kingdom?"

In response, Vaati turned and flicked his index finger up. A strong bust of wind blew up the back of Linebeck's coat over his head and once it covered his line of vision, he let out a great holler and began to flail his arms.

Aryll get out a giggle and Vaati smirked at her. However, that smirk faded away as he looked behind her to see the dark sky from near the forest.

Without warning, the purple ring shot straight through Hyule and as the young princess and the sailor (who escaped his 'prison') became caught off guard by the sight, something happened.

In a large area of plains, the ring expanded and left behind a great mountain region, where the ring of clouds circled over the top most mountain and turned the sky into a burning red and black, like the depths of a volcano. Elsewhere, a bridge over a dark canyon, a village, and a field appeared, and over it was a sky that varied between ethereal sunset and mid-day, while black particles rose from the ground and into the sky. Finally, a ring in the sky expanded outward to reveal a beautiful city that floated upon chunks of earth that stayed upright in the blue sky, which was otherwise surrounded by purple and black clouds.

These sections looked as if they had been pulled away from other parts of the land and were just placed onto Hyrule's landscape. The different weather patterns not only darkened what was left of the sky, but only a few beams of sunlight were able to peer out, onto Hyrule Castle and the town.

"What's happening?!" Aryll gasped. "Those landmarks- they're-"

"Not supposed to be here." Vaati's eyes narrowed as Linebeck's mouth dropped so wide, you could have fit a cow into it.

-elsewhere-

"Gate of Souls..." Ceiya held his arms out in front of the gate, while Volga and Wizzro (who rejoined the group) could only watch in sheer amazement from a safe distance. The voice that came out of Ceiya was his, but it was mixed with another- something deeper and far more sinister. "Hear my voice... and open! My spirit will be freed!"

Ceiya formed a ball of magic that expanded and he shot it outward. It broke into three and it flew throughout Hyrule, and into the halls of the new landmarks.

"One hidden in the labyrinth under the vast lake!" Ceiya roared out. "One gracing the hall of the rulers of eternal sunset! One trapped between the slumbering deity and the great evil! Come and open up to me! Destroy the bound chests and bring back that which was shattered!"

And in all these locations, not only did three black bound chests burst open in front of the newly formed gate of souls, but monsters from each era began to be compelled to emerge and follow the orbs of shining red and black that escaped the chests.

The orbs all escaped their prisons and soared through the sky and the barriers that separated past from present until they collided and merged into Ceiya's body.

The young man doubled over in pain when the orbs formed together inside him and he clutched his chest as agony seared his body.

"Excellent, Sorcerer." The voice praised him. "You have done well... three fragments of my spirit have been returned..."

As Ceiya's pain lessened, he stood up and orange and black flames escaped his body. Even his underlings could see that this magic was not his own and something far more dangerous. His eyes began to glow as the darkness slowly overtook him.

"All that remains is the one trapped by the accursed Master Sword."

Ceiya let out a laugh of triumph- soon, all that he could ever desire, would finally be his!

"Well don't just stand there!" Ceiya's voice yelled out across the valley for all the monsters to hear. "Come my friends! Let us go through the corridors time! Let us recruit those who wish to see this kingdom laid to waste and revel in what merriment there is to be had! The links to the past is mine to command, and you may do as you please!"

-later on-

The Hyrulean troops looked on at the beautiful, yet eerie sight of the appearance of familiar landmarks doting the kingdom, like misplaced toys.

"Death Mountain," Geode quietly named the new locations as he stood next to Zelda, Bethany (who was eagerly taking pictures with her Picto Box) and a few others who wanted to get a better look. "Skyloft... and the Bridge of Eldin?"

"Oh Nayru." A knight groaned and ran a hand over his face as he surveyed the damage with Aaron. "What are we going to tell all of Hyrule?"

"We're pretty much deep in it." Aaron agreed. "A lot of people are going to be angry at us."

"I have to admit- the sight is rather breathtaking." Zelda glanced up towards Skyloft- she knew that the ancient city's current location was unknown and lost to history, and yet it was right above the fields of Hyrule and in it's glory days. If she tried to stay positive, maybe there could still be some hope.

"Hey, what's your problem?" Reg noticed Kay, who seemed to be as pale as death and was frantically drumming his fingers on his knees as he looked at what was now Death Mountain. "You seem pretty tense, buddy."

"Reg, you should leave him alone." Marsh warned him, but Reg continued. "Hey, we'll solve this somehow- I'm sure the hero will just-"

"MY GIRLFRIEND IS WHERE THAT MOUNTAIN IS AT RIGHT NOW!" Kay finally snapped at him. "FOR ALL I KNOW, SHE'S UNDER A HUNDRED FEET OF DIRT AND ROCKS!"

Those who heard this realized the new implication to this disaster and left Kay to worry in peace. The others had to force themselves to try to stay optimistic, while some began to worry for those they cared about.

Unfortunately, Zelda heard Kay's outburst and her spirit wavered: if only she had helped the others. Maybe she could have delayed this, or maybe allowed Nabooru to-

No. They did not need to resort to that. If all else was lost, maybe she would be willing to take his life, but _not_ without a good reason. She may be a knight for now, but in heart, she felt that she could be more than that.

She glanced back to see that Liam was in deep thought and was biting his thumb- while holding his hand up and preventing Shadow from escaping a yet of magical chains that occasionally sparked with lightning.

"Not so fun, is it?" Nabooru sneered at Shadow, who shot her a dark look.

"Tell me," Impa walked up to Shadow with a less than amused look on her face and crossed her arms. "Why did you have the Triforce of Wisdom? The Royal Family has watched over it for generations, and yet it-"

Without any warning, Shadow burst out laughing and fell over. His hysterical laughter was equivalent to a hyena and he repeatedly kicked the air and slammed his feet down onto the ground. Impa was forced to wait until he finally tried to breathe between laughters, but it was difficult.

"Oh, you are _precious_ , General!" He wheezed. "I had it for awhile, and until you lot showed up, I was going to give it back to the family!"

Impa's eyes darkened. "You took it from the prince, didn't you?"

"Instead of wondering about the Triforce-" Liam finally looked up at Impa. "We have bigger things to worry about. Zelda, can you come here?" He addressed Zelda, who walked towards them and sat down across from the others. Her eyes briefly went to the still giggling Shadow and they narrowed in newly rekindled distrust, before glancing to to Liam, who began to explain.

"There's no time to completely explain what Ceiya has done." He began. "But he has opened the Gate of Souls to eras long since past. As a consequence, he is going to bring the monsters of each era to his cause, and Hyrule will be overrun, unless we do something about it."

"And what is that?" Zelda calmly asked as Proxy fluttered onto her shoulder.

"We must close the Gate of Souls that exist in each era- or, to be more specific, the locations that were ripped from time and space and were brought into our era."

"Now, in order to do this, we need to divide into three divisions- each one will travel into the era, find the gates, and seal them. I can send everyone to these locations with my magic," Liam provided "to speed up the journey."

"In that case, I'll take Skyloft!" Zelda pipped up, with the eagerness of an excited child. "I adore the stories about it, and I think I can put what I recall to good use." She wanted to stay positive, and what better way than to lead a group into a real-life fairy tale that she enjoyed as a child?

Everyone looked at Zelda in surprise, but Liam seemed troubled by her offer. He glanced at Skyloft- specifically, a certain statue- and thought over her offer.

He glanced around at Shadow, the commanders and their general in a careful calculation before he finally gave in. "I suppose you _are_ the safest choice- but I have to warn you Zelda. I don't know what year it will be in that era, but if I am correct, then no matter how much you are compelled to do so- don't go anywhere near Skyloft's statue of Hylia."

This confused Zelda, and before she could ask, Liam quickly continued.

"I will take the era of Twilight." Liam spoke, and many gasped at this. "Because I know exactly what to expect, and how to possibly deal with it. As for Death Mountain, I believe it's the same one from the era of the Hero of Time-" He stopped and looked to the Gorons.

"We can't go." Orik reluctantly told him. "If there are more Gorons than accounted for in that era, it would look suspicious."

Geode shot Orik a look of protest. "You can't be serious! We could get help-"

"It pains me to say it, but we have to put our era over our ancestor's era." Orik told Geode. "We can be of better use to Lady Zelda." He smiled at her, while his brother looked on in helpless desperation.

"In that case, I'm going!" Groose spoke. "She can't have an entire army of Gorons with her!"

"Same here!" Pipit stood up and held his sword. "It helps to have variety!"

"Ah- wait me too!" Karane quickly spoke up.

"I suppose I shall take Death Mountain." Impa looked at Shadow and frowned. "You're coming with me- I can't trust you with anyone else."

"I'll join you, my Lady!" Koji spoke, but Impa shook her head. "Go with Liam-" She then whispered to the boy. "He is not to be trusted. He is hiding something from us."

"With that in mind-" Liam smiled and summoned out three compasses. "These are enchanted." He explained. "These will help you get to the gates faster. I can't promise that the gates will be in the exact area you will first arrive in, so it's better to be safe than sorry."

-half an hour later-

"I just got here!"

Nabooru looked at the three groups in dismay, while Saria stood next to her, with a letter in her hand.

"You're a danger to every era." Liam's eyes narrowed at the Gerudo. "If you want to be of use, help Saria deliver General Impa's letter to the Royal Family."

"We will!" Sunny cheerfully spoke as Saria carefully pocketed the letter.

"Now then-" Liam looked at each group. "I wish you all the best of luck and be sure to look out for each other!"

He first went to Zelda's division. "Remember what I said." He reminded her, before tossing his book in the air. Just as before, Zelda and the others were surrounded by an orb of white magic, but this time, it slowly moved them up into the sky. It was as if there was no gravity in the orb, and they all awkwardly floated in mid-air.

"Ok, this is new!" Pipit panicked, along with a few others, while some of them remained calm and Zelda eagerly looked towards Skyloft.

As the orb flew up into the sky and began to pick up speed and drift towards Skyloft, Liam did the same to those who would go to Death Mountain.

"Take care, Lady Impa!" Koji saluted his superior, who smiled and repeated the gesture as she and the others also drifted away.

Finally, Liam repeated the same for his group and they too went drifting elsewhere.

"Din, I hope there's some beauties in this era." Reg begged as he and the others began the journey to the era of twilight.

"Keep your goal in mind, or I'll put your eyes out." Lady Ashei harshly warned him.

And so, the group finally separated, with a vow to safely return back to each other- little did they know, they each were going to be in for quite an adventure.

All that remained, was Saria, Nabooru, and Sunny.

"Thanks a lot!" Nabooru sarcastically yelled at Liam's orb before she took a flute out. "Ya' could of provided us with transportation!" She quickly played the flute.

"What are you doing?" Saria asked as Nabooru finished the song and pocketed the flute. "We don't have time for-"

"Saria, grab my hand." Nabooru held her arm out. "Pixie, you hold onto her!"

"It's Sunny!" The fairy shot as Saria reluctantly grabbed onto the Gerudo's hand. Not long after that, the sound of a bird flapping it's wings could be heard, and Nabooru looked up with a goofy grin.

"HELMY!" She yelled out. "HOW'VE YOU BEEN?!"

"'Helmy'"? Saria turned around, just in time to see an enormous set of talons rush into view and latch onto Nabooru's waist.

"WOOOO!" Nabooru yelled as Saria let out a panicked cry. "Long live the Helmaroc King!" She hollered as the gigantic black bird flew into the sky. "Next stop: Hyrule Castle!"

* * *

Outtakes

1\. Passing on

In response, Vaati turned and flicked his index finger up. A strong bust of wind blew up the back of Linebeck's coat over his head and once it covered his line of vision, he let out a great holler and began to flail his arms.

"Tutor was right." Vaati let out a laugh. "Screwing with people _is_ fun! No wonder he did that all the time with me!"

2\. The necessary deviant art meme joke (look it up)

"Thanks a lot!" Nabooru sarcastically yelled at Liam before she took a flute out. "Ya' could of provided us with transportation!" She quickly played the flute.

"What are you doing?" Saria asked. "We don't have time for-"

"Saria, grab my boobs."

"...What?"

"Saria... grab... my boobs."

Confused as all heck, Saria reluctantly obeyed-

-only for the Helmaroc King to swoop in and pick Nabooru up, with Saria still holding on.

"ADVENTURE!" Nabooru yelled as the Helmaroc King produced a rainbow as it soared across the sky.

Or maybe it was a rainbow fart... I never understood that bit.

* * *

Nabooru will have her time to shine- it's just going to be awhile.

Not only is Dark Epona here (I think it's adorable that she also turns dark with Dark Link), but in the Ocarina of Time Manga, Dark Link made a dark version of Epona from his body.

Speaking of manga, I was making a nod to the Minish cap Manga in one of the outtakes. (In which a certain someone showed some pretty ***hole tendencies towards Vaati.)

Ok, there's the thing: I'm going in _my_ initial order from the game, which was Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess, and then Ocarina of Time. I can either stay on a straight path, (two chapters per pathway) or I can alternate with each of the 6 chapters (Skyward, Twilight, Ocarina, Skyward, Twilight, and then Ocarina.) I'm leaving it up to you guys, since I know some of you want to revisit certain faces again.

Otherwise: I GET TO WRITE _HIM_ AGAIN IN THE NEXT CHAPTER! WOOT! *Laughs evily* If Zelda thought _Shadow_ was tricky to deal with...


	5. He who stains the sky with blood

**Deanna Saber** : I would have to agree with you. Vaati has an interesting backstory, and I'm happy that the manga adaptation gave him a second chance at the end. (And I felt that it was better to retain a little of his darker side in the last chapter.)

 **HeroAlexa249** : *laughs* It's ok. And again, I love that drawing- it makes me super happy.

 **PsycoFangirl** : That was a very accurate poem :D Koji is an original character, so he's NOT Sheik's counterpart in this story. As for Shadow-

Shadow: Well, that would just ruin my fun, wouldn't it?

Me:...Right. For Nabooru, it was either scimitars or an axe (because of the Iron Knuckle thing), but I see what you mean about Zant.

 **AMaeJay** : Aw thanks- AW CRAP! *ducks from the ham, then proceeds to eat it*

I apologize in advance if I didn't respond to everyone's reviews, but I greatly appreciate them, and how eager you are to re-visit a certain someone.

Ah Skyward Swaps- despite your awkward beginnings and the fact that I skimmed over certain parts, look what you have done to me, and where it's taken us.

And so- we return to a certain someone who just happens to be one of my favorite warriors to play as, if not my number one favorite. It feels comfortable for me when I play as him, compared to most of the other characters.

And yes- I had a laugh from the DLC of Cia's story when I saw what he called her at the end of his level.

* * *

Chapter 5: He who stains the sky with blood

-*Many, many years ago...*-

A harp and the song it produced could be heard across the great meadow, and the only person who could enjoy it was approaching the player in a great haste.

The musician hummed the song to himself: it was to be a very important song for an intended hero in the upcoming future, and he wanted it to be perfect for her. He was going to have Lord Levias and the dragons hold on to parts of the song, and he couldn't wait for them to hear it and see what they thought.

Unfortunately, he could sense someone approaching him from behind and ceased his composition. "I know you're there, Impa." He turned to see the young sheikah woman, who quickly bowed before him.

"You're Grace." She quickly addressed him, before she stood back up. "I respect your judgement, but I am uncertain as to what you are doing this time. Is it true that you selected _him_ -" A look of displeasure and slight distaste crossed her face when she said "-for your plan?"

"That is correct." The musician nodded.

"Why?!" Impa protested. "Of all the possible spirits, you chose the one who has taken hundreds- possibly thousands- of lives and enjoyed every moment of it! He won't have a change of heart, just because you-!"

"It is foolish to assume that one can easily change the most darkened of souls into a better version of themselves." The musician calmly agreed. "Not all can be won over by love or kindness- that must be of their own choice. And yet, this particular soul could be exactly what the hero will need, to become worthy of the Triforce."

"With all due respect, Hylia." Impa coldly replied. "He will not accept your intended hero as his master. That _thing_ -" She spat in disgust "-is nothing but a monster!"

-*Hyrule- present day*-

The group that drifted towards Skyloft in Liam's magical orb watched as the distance from the ground below them increased, and it made a few of them uneasy and a little ill.

"Please don't disappear, please don't disappear." One of the many Gorons prayed to the group's only barrier of protection.

"It's not that bad." Pipit admitted. "This is actually kind of fun."

"Yeah." Karane looked up and grinned "I'm actually looking forward to this."

There was an irritated groan, and those nearby turned to see Orik running a hand over his face. "Are you ok?" Karane asked.

"It's nothing." Orik held his free hand up. "Just the fact that my brother isn't here. I have an idea what happened, but still-" He sighed. "I should have seen that coming."

"You mean Geode, right?" Groose asked.

Zelda looked up in anticipation at Skyloft, and as soon as the orb went up into the blue sky that surrounded the utopia, the child inside her couldn't be contained and she began to sing.

" _Oh youth_ , _guided by the servant, unite earth and sky, and bring light to the land._ "

Zelda's group looked at their commander as she sang the ballad of Hylia and their discomfort at being so high up in the sky lessened. They all could see huge birds flying above the city- perhaps they were the fabled loftwings? This, combined with Zelda's singing made them feel as if they truly were entering a time that had long since passed.

Zelda sang as their orb reached the city, but she stopped when she could hear the sound of a battle from up above.

"They beat us to it." Pipit noted as soon as the orb finally became level with Skyloft and sent them gently down on it's outskirts by a nearby tower, before it flickered and faded.

Just as they suspected, Skyloft was indeed a beautiful city, that was colorful and vibrant with life, but they could see that the city was currently overrun with monsters, as far as the eye could see.

"What should we do?!" One of the Gorons asked. "Lady Zelda- what is your command?"

"We help them." Zelda decided out loud- the idea that she was going to have to lead a big group on her own was scary, but she reminded herself that she could do it, if she managed the same thing in the Eldin caves. "The search will have to wait."

Just then, two men ran towards them- judging by their similar, yet different colored clothing, special eye gear that hid mot of their faces, and the fact that they had weapons, Zelda realized that they must be the knights of Skyloft- the predecessors to the knights of Hyrule- and she was briefly awestruck by this fact.

"Who are you?!" The orange colored knight demanded. "Are you with the red knight who wears the skull of a monster?"

Zelda scowled when she realized who he meant. "No- we are trying to stop him and his superior." She began with as much authority as she could muster. "And we are trying to stop these monsters from taking over."

"And why should we believe you?" the dark blue knight demanded. "We were tricked into thinking he was our ally!"

"Because the fate of your city is in jeopardy." Zelda shot at him. "Please let us help, before it gets worse! Let half of my men protect the citizens, while the rest of us clear the way to the knight!"

The orange knight hesitated and looked at her carefully. "If you want my trust, then go to the statue of the Goddess and help my wife with our plans."

"Done." Zelda took her sword out. "Everyone, move!" She commanded as if she were like Impa. "Groose, you take half and aid the citizens, while Orik and I take another half towards the statue and be prepared to split up if necessary!"

"Done, and done!" Groose grinned and saluted, before running off with those who wanted to help out.

"But Hylia was a man!" Pipit wondered out loud as the rest as he and the others followed the captain of the Skyloftian knights. "Why do they think he was a she?"

"Who knows!" Karane shrugged.

"Are you nuts?!" Proxy came out of Zelda's hair as she hurried along. "Liam told you not to go near the statue!"

"I know, and I don't know why!" Zelda admitted as she looked at the statue- all she knew was that it was supposed to have a hidden chamber, where a very important sword rested. "But this comes first!"

-Stage 5-

"She's here."

Volga could smell her, even from a mile away, within the scent of living rock and a select few Hylians: it was the Hylian girl who bore the divine light.

He scowled- it was bad enough that they had to trick these pitiful beings into thinking they were going to receive his aid before crushing their hopes like a boulder into pebbles. She was going to be a hinderance, not because she was a commander of the knights, but for a reason that would prevent him from directly killing her. It wouldn't stop him from thwarting her in his enjoyment of overpowering these fools.

"As loathe as I am to say it," He addressed the person behind him. "You cannot kill the commander of that army. That was the command of the Black Sorcerer."

"Your command is acknowledged, but the slightest chance that she will escape without a scratch is low."

Volga smirked- at least there was _someone_ who shared his views.

Elsewhere, the small army was divided between the protection of the citizens, while the majority of the Knight Academy and Zelda's men fought off the bokoblins, moblins, and aeralfos. To Zelda and the others, most of these monsters were merely flies, but there was no knowing where they were coming from.

Zelda raced up the steps and into the courtyard of the statue of Hylia, where she saw a couple of women and men by a pumpkin that was almost as big as she was and just as wide, and there were ropes under it, and two loftwings stood by, with ropes connected to the pumpkin.

"We came to help!" Zelda told the group, who turned in response. It was the one closest to her that made her stop in her tracks- with an exception of the slight difference in age and facial structure, the blonde woman almost looked just like her.

"Hey Marni!" One of the women spoke out with a nervous laugh. "This girl could be your little sister!"

"Hush Mallara!" Marni snapped before turning to Zelda with a grave look on her face. "Did an orange knight send you here?"

"He did!" Proxy bobbed up and down. Marni smiled at him, before turning to Zelda. "We need to deliver this pumpkin to Lord Levias by the space between Skyloft and the ruined islands. Can you protect us?"

"Yes!" Zelda nodded. "My men can assist you." She turned to the four Gorons who followed her, and they nodded. "Proxy, could you fly off and warn the others to clear the way if they see us coming?"

"Got it!" Proxy eagerly flew up over the walls, and towards the others.

"Thank you so much." Marni gave Zelda an appreciative smile. Zelda smiled back, but then she saw a moblin coming their way.

"Look out!" She held her sword out as the moblin came charging at them. The Gorons quickly darted to the group by the pumpkin, just as the moblin readied his spear at Zelda. "Over here!" Zelda taunted and ran towards the statue. Sensing that she was the greater threat, the moblin pursued her and engaged in combat.

"Don't just stand there!" one of the Gorons yelled at the citizens. "Go!"

"Now!" Marni commanded the two loftwings, who picked up the ropes in their talons, and flew up, so they could help the villagers carry the pumpkin, while the Gorons surrounded them. Marni briefly turned to watch Zelda, who landed a blow and then backed away from the moblin until she was almost up against the statue.

Without anyway of helping the girl, Marni turned to join her group and prayed to Hylia that the girl would make it out alive.

The moblin became enraged at Zelda, and refused to be beaten. It let out a roar and charged at Zelda with it's spear, while Zelda prepared herself to move out of the way and let the moblin crash into the wall behind her.

Without any warning, Zelda felt something grab the bottom of her hair and the girl fell through the statue's base with a startled cry, and the moblin charged through the base, as easily as Zelda did, like there was an invisible corridor.

-Inside the Statue-

As if by some unknown force, Zelda had been pulled inside, into total darkness, and it continued for a good few seconds until she was tossed aside. As she crashed to the ground could hear the moblin coming after her, until she heard the awful sound of a sword cutting through flesh, followed by a slight thud.

All went silent.

A light then grew, and Zelda could make out the moblin and what was left of it- it's head had been cut clean off by some unseen force. Zelda watched as the moblin turned dark and exploded, before she turned to see an impressive sight.

She was in the secret chamber, which was lit up by torches. While that was amazing on it's own, something caught Zelda's eye- at the center of the chamber, in a pedestal, was a black sword, with a red stone in it's hilt. A sword that she recognized since she was a child.

" _Curious, are we?"_

 _A young Zelda turned from the old, half destroyed tapestry that was carefully on display in the museum, to see a strange grinning man in purple walk up towards it to take a look._

" _Hylia's Champion, with the Master Sword in it's earlier form, as designed by Hylia himself." He continued on. "The Hero of Twilight made an excellent find in her adventures, when she came upon this tapestry." He gave the cat eyed girl who held the sword up in the tapestry a pleased nod. "Fate intended this tapestry to be brought down from the sky, by her hand, to be shown to you." He told the girl before he walked away._

 _Zelda shrugged at the man, before turning back to the tapestry and noticed that it seemed that a pure white hand was holding the sword with the hero, but the owner had disappeared along with the part of the tapestry that was destroyed._

This must have been what Liam warned her about... and yet, how often was it that one could gaze upon the Master Sword, let alone it's original form? Zelda got up from the ground and put her sword in it's sheath as she walked towards the sword, until she was just feet away from it.

As if the sword were some sort of beacon, Zelda moved her hand towards it as she took a couple more steps. Her hand was outstretched, and she was almost blissfully ignorant of the figure behind her, or the pair of hands that were creeping towards her- fingers twitching in eager anticipation.

"I can't believe I'm standing before you." Zelda breathed to the legendary blade. "Your magnificent!" She praised.

Before she could touch the handle, she hesitated- this wasn't right. She shouldn't be here, when she was needed elsewhere. With slight regret, she drew her hand back, just as the figure behind her finally placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't stop." It hissed in her ear.

Zelda gasped in shock and in quick retaliation, she drew her sword, turned, and swung it out-

only for the person behind her to quickly grab it between two white gloved fingers.

Zelda stared in disbelief at what she saw- no normal being could be able to stop a blade like this person did.

"I see this rose has thorns." The person who stopped her spoke in an amused tone, and Zelda looked from the blade, to the person was before her.

It was a man- a man who looked slightly feminine to the point that Zelda didn't know whether to find him beautiful or strange. It did not help that his lips were white against ash gray skin, that the sole eye that wasn't covered by a half curtain of white hair had purple lining underneath it, or that he wore a blue diamond earring. The fact that he was dressed so peculiarly (The red cape over the diamond patterned... whatever it was...was impressive, though oddly designed, for one thing.) gave him the appearance of some sort of performer, and yet the way he confidently held himself and the arrogance in his eyes said something else.

"A good sword, but not good enough for a commander." His black eyes glanced down at her (he was was taller than the average height of a Hylian man) "You could do far better than this feeble knife you hold." He noticed that Zelda was still looking at him and he gave her a pleased smile. "Ah yes, I'm quite magnificent, aren't I?"

"Who are you?" Zelda demanded as she finally pulled the sword from his grasp. "If you saved my life from the moblin, I appreciate it, but I must go back to the others."

The man tilted his head at her in thought. "...You're nothing like what _he_ told me. He said that you wouldn't be used to battle, and yet you are well skilled... perhaps he misinterpreted the vision?" He chuckled in amusement before bowing to Zelda, as if preparing for a dance, with an arm against his back and his front.

"I am known as Ghirahim, dear maiden, but I prefer the use of my title: Lord Ghirahim." He straightened back up. "I can let you out of here and I may be of assist to your cause- provided you can do me a simple task of drawing the sword from it's pedestal."

His name sounded faintly familiar to Zelda, but then she had a feeling about what Liam warned her about- perhaps Ceiya wanted to destroy the blade, and Liam was trying to keep it away from him. "I can't do that." She denied. "Only the hero chosen by Hylia can pull it out."

There was a shift in Ghirahim's form, as his elegance was replaced with annoyance. "Then I'm afraid you're stuck here till you draw your last breath." He curtly told her.

Zelda suspected that he was lying. "And how did you get here?"

The man let out a low growl. "Draw. The sword. Or else."

"I can't!" Zelda snapped at him. "I'm not the hero of this era!"

"I'm doing my best to be patient, girl." Zelda recognized the burning desire to snap out in anger in Ghirahim's eyes, but there was something far worse in them that made her eager to protect herself with her sword. "So prove me wrong, or you _will_ regret your actions."

"Fine!" Zelda growled back and turned to the sword. What were the chances that she could even pull the sword out? She put her sword away before grabbing the hilt with both hands and gave it a pull.

The sword came right out of it's pedestal, as if pulling a stick out of the dirt, and Zelda almost fell back from the effort put into it.

Zelda froze when she regained her balance- that should _not_ have been possible. She wasn't Hylia's Champion, and yet she pulled the sword out before _she_ could. Shock turned to horror as she held the blade out in front of her.

Then, a low laugh erupted.

Zelda turned to see Ghirahim chuckling- his hands were drawn to his chest and his fingers twitched- before he threw his arms out and laughed in triumph.

"FINALLY!" He roared. "NOW I CAN RELEASE THESE PENT UP URGES!"

Without warning, he grabbed the sword by it's blade from Zelda's grasp and dashed out of the room. Horrified and confused at what was happening, Zelda followed suit, and found herself running through an entryway that let her back outside.

She continued to follow him out of the courtyard, and to a part of the city, where Ghirahim suddenly flashed out of sight in a burst of magic that took the form of diamonds before he reappeared on the ruined islands and confronted the beasts. What followed next was a disturbing moment.

Like a mad beast, the white haired man somehow summoned up a sword of his own, while Hylia's blade had somehow vanished in it's place. Here, many bokoblins and arealfos were swarming towards him, but he ran head on and cut through them like they were nothing- in fact, a couple of times, when he swung the sword out, it sent out dagger like projectiles that struck the monsters. He fought furiously, but he was laughing the whole time as if he was overjoyed to be doing this, and flew through his opponents like they were nothing to him.

"YOU FOOL!" Ghirahim gleefully yelled at the heavens as he skewered a monster. "WHEREVER YOU ARE, HYLIA, YOU ARE A GREAT FOOL!"

"...What have I done?" Was the only thing Zelda could only ask herself when it came to this disturbing chaos. Who was this Ghirahim, that was so instant on drawing the sword out?

"Oh thank Nayru!" Proxy found Zelda and she turned towards him. "Some blue haired girl is on the enemy's side, and she's going after our men at the base!"

Zelda's motives changed and she chased after Proxy. Ghirahim would have to wait for a bit longer.

-elsewhere-

It did not take long for Zelda to follow Proxy and hurry across town, and it was when she finally reached on of the many squares that she came face to face with someone else who was just as interesting as the blood crazed maniac. She stopped in her tracks and looked at the girl, who halted when she saw her.

This girl looked about the same age as Princess Aryll, and was garbed in strange clothing and a blue and purple cape. She had unusually pale white skin, a rather stylish bob of blue hair, and blue crystal like eyes. However, something was off about this girl- while she held herself with a sort of grace, there was no emotion in her eyes. To Zelda, she might as well be nothing but a speck of dust.

"If you go after my men, you go past me!" Zelda took her sword out. "Proxy, go see who else needs help!" The fairy nodded and flew off.

"Your care means little to me." The girl spoke in a cold, monotone voice. "I have specific orders from the Black Sorcerer to not kill you."

This interested Zelda, but she readied her sword. "Well that's unfortunate, because I hate what he's doing to Hyrule!" She told the girl.

"I see..." The girl held out her hand and a blue handled sword materialized in a burst of light. She took it and swung it out. "I suppose I could cut a foot off, just for consideration." She then charged at Zelda, who gladly responded.

Meanwhile, Ghirahim had just finished his two hundredth kill, and he was about to follow the presence of what clearly felt like a dragon from the red knight, but the presence of another stopped him. Someone _familiar_ was with the young commander- someone from a long time ago.

He scowled in irritation and ran off.

It was so strange to Zelda as she fought the blue haired girl. True, she put up a fight beyond any that Zelda had experienced, and there was a certain grace about her movements, but... it was as if this fight was based on pure muscle memory. Like she knew when to dodge her attacks, and what certain movements were, but when she summoned out daggers similar to Ghirahim's, the fight began to feel incredibly familiar to her.

As quick as she could, Zelda took her shield and blocked the projectiles, before rushing in to make her move.

"You are adequate." The blue girl spoke as she blocked Zelda's attack. "But I have fought for far longer than you have."

"Better than most!" Zelda agreed as she finally moved her sword and tried to strike, but the girl blocked her attack.

Without a warning, the girl suddenly raised her head up and hesitated.

"...He's here."

She suddenly turned into a faint light, which then vanished- just as Ghirahim ran towards Zelda and threw out a very furious "WHERE IS SHE?!"

"I don't know!" Zelda nervously told him. "She just vanished!"

Ghirahim looked irritated as he began to calm down. "I see..." He then grinned and ran a hand through his hair. "I was so looking forward to meeting that little brat again." At that exact moment, Zelda could see that the ear hidden behind the curtain of hair was shaped differently than the other, as if part of it had been cut off.

"Anyway-" He glanced at her and his hair covered his ear, along with half of his face again. "Kindly explain why I sensed a dragon in the red knight."

Zelda let out a curse and rushed off towards the ruined islands.

"...You are going to make an interesting mistress." He chuckled and ran after her.

Meanwhile, after receiving the protection of various soldiers, who cleared the pathway, Marni lead the others to a ledge to the ruined islands and the pumpkin was placed near it.

"Lord Levias!" Marni cried out and held her arms out. "Heed my call! Skyloft seeks your protection!"

To her great relief, a booming laugh rang out.

"Ho ho... fear not, Lady Marni. I heard the cries of your people, though I appreciate the offering you have given to me."

Zelda approached Marni and the others, just as a great leviathan rose out from the sky. Zelda watched on as the leviathan shoved his head into one of the many floating rocks and pushed it between the islands and Skyloft.

"Incredible." Zelda gasped.

"Well don't just stand there!" Marni happily demanded the others. "Shove it to the ledge on the left, and pay him with our gratitude!"

"I would not do that." Ghirahim (having reached the others) spoke to Marni, who turned to him in confusion. "You may still require the services of your local deity. Besides- you should focus on the commander, instead of sending your pawns out at the other beasts. At this point, they are going to be disposable."

Zelda lost some of her respect to this man, and Marni was not pleased. "They are my friends!" She snapped. "They are not just pawns!"

"You can't win a fight without someone dying, woman." Ghirahim merely replied. "Even you have blood upon your hands, though your own part in this battle. How many died between the statue and this location because of you?"

Marni's gaze darkened. "Hylia have mercy on what little soul you have."

Ghirahim let out a laugh. "He already did." He told her, before running off ahead.

"I'm really sorry!" Zelda apologized to Marni, before she joined him.

"She has a point!" Zelda told her 'companion.' "If any of these people die, the future is going to be in jeopardy!"

"My future doesn't concern these people!" Ghirahim spat.

"It does when one of them is the ancestor of Hylia's chosen hero!" Zelda protested but she then stopped when she saw Volga.

"Why are you attacking these people?!" Zelda yelled at him. "They have done nothing to you!"

"If it wasn't for the fact that Ceiya want's you alive, your corpse would be ash by my fire!" Volga snarled as he readied his spear, while he tried to ignore the fact that her companion smelled oddly similar to the blue haired girl. "And without the Triforce of Courage, you can't protect yourself, can you?"

In response, Zelda rushed in and fought him. She was not going to be beaten this time- she was stronger, and she would prove it. This left Ghirahim to watch on and evaluate her progress.

This was someone who was very familiar with the sword, and was careful with it. She knew how this 'Volga' fought, and she was wise enough to know when to not rush in like a fool. Volga was more eager to attack, but this blind fury gave her time to rush in and attack. In fact, when he tried to impale her with his spear, it became stuck in the ground, and left her an opening to attack before he could pull it out.

"You have become stronger." Volga noted. "Good- this makes the fight a lot more enjoyable for me!" Zelda ignored him, and the fight continued on, until it finally turned towards her favor.

Zelda finally ceased and backed away as Volga knelt to the ground, with only his spear as his means of support. "There's no point in killing you." She panted. "I wan't to know why Ceiya want's me alive."

...That was _not_ what Ghirahim expected. She was being _kind_ to her enemy?!

"Don't make me laugh!" Volga hissed. "I was expecting a battle worth my time, not this child's play!" He suddenly got back up and grew with a bright light.

"What the-?!" Zelda gasped, but Volga quickly swung his spear out and knocked Zelda into the ground with a strong force that she did not feel in the duel.

"You idiot!" Ghirahim finally had enough and moved the girl to the side. "This is why you shouldn't be kind to the enemy!" He turned to Volga and held his weapon out. "Face me!" He demanded. "I could use a good challenge!"

The dragon knight roared and charged at Ghirahim, and Zelda was forced to watch on as she realized that the battle was far from over.

That wasn't the only problem- monsters everywhere were also glowing, and not even the blue knight from before could handle them when he tried to make his way to Zelda. "Get over here and help!" He yelled.

Elsewhere, things weren't so great.

"Oh, come on!" Orik groaned as he blocked an attack with his arms. "What does it take to make these guys fall?!"

"They'll reach the others at this rate!" Another Goron worriedly looked to the part of the city, where the citizens evacuated. "We won't be able to hold them off for much longer!"

Having seen what was going on, Proxy searched for Zelda, and didn't stop until he saw her.

"Zelda, what's happening?!" Proxy flew up to Zelda. "Monsters everywhere are stronger. now! What's going on?!"

Zelda then heard a deep groan from somewhere near the islands. "How impudent..." Levias spoke. "If only I were at full strength. I would crush that dragon, like the snake he is..."

"If there was a way to boost his power..." Zelda tried to think. "I wonder..." She turned to Proxy and suddenly had an idea as she got back up- it was a long shot, but it had to work. "Proxy, can you contact the Great Fairy if I pray to her?"

"...Fine." Proxy agreed with much annoyance. "It's worth a shot."

"Great Fairy!" Zelda threw her hand into the air. "Heed my call! Give Lord Levias strength!" She repeated the prayer several times as a good measure as she tried to fend off the monsters, though she was unaware of the magic circle that steadily grew under her feet.

" _Great Fairy, I actually need your help."_ Proxy tried to mentally contact the being. _"Could you somehow come over and help us win the battle by giving the sky deity some power?"_ Proxy then turned to the sky and waited.

His patience was rewarded when he saw his kin wave the huge batch of pumpkin soup in the air near Skyloft, as if they were going fishing. "What... the... heck?"

Suddenly, Levias leapt into the air and the fairies let go of the soup. It dropped into his waiting mouth, and he sent out a burst of electric energy that went out in many directions. Most importantly, it went through Skyloft and struck as many monsters as it could. As for Volga, he was shocked so bad, that he was forced to collapse to the ground in defeat.

"Oh, thank you!" Zelda praised the deity. "Thank you Lord Levias!"

"You are welcome, She who leads her men through time!" Levias laughed. "Now then, is that enough divine intervention for you? I grow tired and must rest."

As Levias flew off, Zelda and Proxy turned to face the weakened Volga and went towards him, while Ghirahim stood and watched.

"Ugh...How could you..." He grunted. "I would have defeated you, if not for the sky lord's interference..."

"Leave my ancestors alone." Zelda coldly told him. "Or I will not be merciful again. You can tell your Master that message on my behalf."

Volga snarled as he became engulfed in fire. The fire expanded, and a great dragon suddenly flew up into the sky- the gust from it's wings extinguished the flames.

"Thank Hylia." The blue knight finally reached Zelda. "You really did help us." He sighed as he removed his mask, to reveal a faintly familiar face. "Guess we owe you one."

"Prince Link?!" Zelda gasped.

The look alike was confused at this, but snorted. "Nice one, but close enough- it's actually Chayne. Though," He smiled. "My wife is a couple months into her pregnancy, so I might write that down- she would get a laugh out of it."

Elsewhere, the victorious knights, villagers, and Gorons celebrated their success. Pipit (who was among those who helped to protect the villagers) laughed as he picked a young girl with braids up and began to spin her around. "We won!" He laughed. "We beat the bad guys!"

"Yay!" She cheered. "No one messes with Skyloft!"

"And we shall create a tornado with our spinning, and it will protect Skyloft for ages to come!" Pipit added "And we will call it Orielle's lovely tornado of might!" The little girl- Orielle- giggled. "More, more!"

Karane watched on and giggled with a slight blush. "That's cute."

"You know, if you don't make a move, that girl might beat you to a date with Pipit." Karane turned to see one of the Gorons, who shrugged. "Just saying."

The orange captain of the knights let out a sigh of relief. "Thank Hylia it's over." He looked to the sky. "We were not prepared enough for this, and most of our loftwings vanished. What could have caused-?"

Without warning, a hand forcefully slammed into his back and his mind became blank.

"You may be of use to me." The blue haired girl spoke as she held her hand up and readied the spell. "You and your men- this spell will effect all the knights of this island. You could be valuable resources... if all goes well." She slowly drew her hand back.

"As you wish..." The orange knight droned. "...Lady Fi."

Fi nodded and vanished. At that moment, the orange knight woke up. "Wha- what happened?" He wondered as Zelda approached him, and his confusion was replaced with gratitude.

"You have my thanks." He told her as he took his helmet off. "Skyloft would have fallen without your help. To whom may I shake hands with?"

"It's Zelda." Zelda smiled as she held her hand out. The man smiled back and shook hands. "That is a beautiful name." He complimented. "I am Gaepora- I am the commander and Headmaster of the Knight Academy."

-later-

Zelda's army stared as they tried to understand what was going on.

"...So," Karane finally began. "Considering what we saw- who helped us out _this_ time?"

Zelda nervously glanced to Ghirahim, who looked unimpressed with her army.

"Oh Goddesses, it's like the Great Fairy had a secret brother." Proxy grimaced to Groose. "...Unless it's a woman."

"Agreed, little guy." Groose whispered back.

"This-" Zelda tried to begin as she held a hand to Ghirahim and paused. "-This is... Lord Ghirahim. He helped us out... in his own way." Zelda frowned at the memory of his enjoyment of killing bokoblins, and what he told Marni. "At the cost of taking the sword of Hylia, which was hidden in the statue."

There was a chorus of groans throughout the group, when they realized what Liam meant, and what Zelda meant by 'sword of Hylia.'"

"Zelda, that sword was supposed to stay there!" Pipit reminded her.

"Well, he forced me to pull it out and I thought it wouldn't budge, but it did." Zelda spoke. "But that doesn't make me Hylia's Champion!"

"You cannot be serious."

Zelda turned to see Marni, Gaepora, and several other civilians and knights of Skyloft. Marni was shooting Ghirahim a disturbed look, and so did Gaepora. "If she wasn't supposed to, why did you force her?"

Ghirahim suddenly bursted out laughing and slapped a hand to his face. "You fools cannot be this naive!" He managed to tell them before he laughed at that fact again.

"Oh Nayru, he's just like Shadow." One of the Gorons complained to Orik. "Why do I get the feeling those two could be good friends?"

-Meanwhile, in the era of the Hero of Time-

Shadow suddenly burst out laughing. "Oh, why do I get the feeling something horrible and yet hilariously ironic just happened in the universe?!" He asked the sky.

-back to the story-

"Ah, sorry." Ghirahim sighed and finally calmed down. "I'm just enjoying a moment of irony. You people have no idea how much you amuse me."

 _Why would he find that funny?_ Zelda wondered. She recalled that his name sounded familiar to her, began to think- it was two days before this journey started and she was bonding with Aryll over a collection of artwork that belonged to the Royal Family's private gallery and library...

" _That's strange." Zelda wondered at the drawing of the hero of Skyloft, who was accompanied by a figure of red, black, and white- it was another depiction out of many others. "I know the popular version says that she was accompanied by a spirit, and yet the Royal Family has a collection of all the various depictions of the spirit."_

" _That's because there was an actual spirit." Aryll spoke as she pointed at the drawing. "It's a well kept secret, in case anyone want's to use it for evil, but we have a copy of the actual story, as told by the founders of Hyrule and the hero herself. He was a spirit who resided in the Master Sword, and his name is the sword's true name."_

" _And what was it?" Zelda was interested in this: the Master Sword had an actual name? Aryll grinned. "His name was Ghirahim, and he was said to be fiercely loyal to the hero, although he had a passion for violence and a tendency to get jealous over other weapons that she possessed. I guess that's to be expected when you're a sword._

"YOU'RE THE SWORD OF HYLIA?!"

A silence fell as Zelda stared at Ghirahim in disbelief, and even that was a great understatement. Those who knew the story about the spirit of the Master Sword were taken by surprise that they were actually face to face with the Master Sword himself.

 _No... this cannot be... this can't be right!_ Zelda frantically thought. _If he's the Master Sword... then how in the world did the original wielder get him to cooperate with her?! I can't imagine anyone who was good could even have control over someone like him! I mean, Ceiya, I can understand, but-_

"I am." Ghirahim calmly told her. "That's why I find this thing amusing. In a sense, you are supposed to be my wielder and Mistress by now, which is why-"

Karane let out a low whistle and shot Zelda a knowing look. "Jeez girl, talk about landing yourself _another_ one within twenty four hours! You're going to be running a different kind of army at this-"

"You know what, never mind!" Zelda shook her head. "I think, right-" She gave up and took out the compass. "I didn't see the gate. Did any of you?" She turned to the others, who shook their heads or said no.

"One woman mistook me for her husband." Pipit shuddered. "I swear, she looks exactly like my mom- probably acts like her too."

"A lot of the people of this era thought we were monsters and freaked out." A Goron grimaced.

Zelda then tried focusing on the compass, while Proxy followed her. The last thing she wanted to think on, was how badly her perception of the Master Sword had changed, and she needed a good distraction.

The needle in the compass was pointing in a specific direction, towards the sky, and it made no sense to her until she walked over to a wooden bridge and looked down- somewhere that was hundreds of feet below Skyloft, was another landmark surrounded by a purple ring that didn't belong on Hyrule's ground. It was hard to make out, but Zelda realized what it meant- they were in the wrong location, and they had to go back down.

"Hey!" Zelda turned towards her men. "Did Liam tell us how to get back down? The Gate seems to be below us."

A few of her men came by her side to take a look. "Uhm," Orik thought. "I don't... think he told us about that. He told us to break the compass to create a portal for when we are done, but..."

"Well, fantastic!" Groose threw his hands up. "Trust the one guy who sent us up to not give us a way back down! We can't ask for a ride from these guys- the loftwings probably can't handle carrying the Gorons- no offense- and we can't use our one way ticket back, unless we want to lose time!"

"Not if you still got little old me, sillies!"

"Oh Gods, why?!" Proxy groaned as they all turned to face the Great Fairy... who, for whatever strange reason, was dressed like a crimson loftwing. She waved as she floated above the ground, while those who had never seen her before were taken aback by her uniqueness.

"Oh, don't mind me, I just felt like blending in!" The large being giggled as she adjusted the bill of her loftwing shaped cap. "But I can send you and your handsome boys down in that forsaken place, without getting anyone hurt."

"Please!" Zelda begged. "I know we have asked too much of you-"

"It isn't much!" The Great Fairy beamed. "I'm enjoying myself too much to not pass this up. Just gather your men in two groups over in the square, and I'll send them down."

And so, they did as she commanded, while Zelda watched on to see what would happen, along with the curious residents of Skyloft.

"Perhaps we should help them." Gaepora began to speak to Marni. "I might have some of my men go down on our loftwings-" He was cut off by the sound of heaving and turned to see that Marni was near a set of bushes and was hurling out whatever was in her stomach into the bushes.

"Oh sweet Hylia," Marni moaned before spitting into the bushes. The only other person who noticed this grotesque display was Ghirahim, who wondered if the idea of more battle became too unbearable to the woman. She looked up at him with a green face and grimaced. "Nine more months to go and I already want this pregnancy over with."

Nope- _that_ was a lot worse.

"So," Zelda spoke to the Great Fairy when all her men were gathered. "What do we do next?"

The Great Fairy hummed and looked into the sky, before flicking a long nailed finger.

A huge glass clear bottle suddenly formed around one of the groups- to the shock of everyone within and outside of it.

"What the-?!" Karane gasped as the others watched what happened: as those inside the bottle panicked, the Great Fairy flicked her finger and the bottle raised in the air, before it tilted and went zooming straight down to it's destination hundreds of feet below upon the surface.

"Now that's what I call a bottle rocket!" The Great Fairy squealed as she clapped her hands.

"Your nuts!" Groose yelled at the entity, and Zelda prepared for the worst- only for her world to suddenly turn black.

A second later, the world returned, and she saw a second bottle that contained her men, and it too shot straight to the surface in a manner similar to it's sibling.

"I should think thanks are in order." Zelda turned to see that Ghirahim had grabbed onto her sword. "I just spared you a great humiliation."

"Those are my men!" Zelda yelled at him. "I don't care what you did, but send me back, right this minute!"

"I am to care for your well being- not theirs. I honestly wish you didn't care so much about them."

Zelda almost yelled at him, before something came into her mind- something incredibly stupid, of course, but she doubted the Great Fairy would have enough power left to help her. Still, if Ghirahim promised to help her, he would have to have no choice in the matter, because Hyrule was running out of time, and she needed to save it.

She turned and ran to the nearest ledge.

"What are you doing?!" Ghirahim realized too late what she had in mind. Before he could make a move, Zelda leapt and threw herself into the sky.

"What the heck, Zelda?!" Proxy held onto Zelda's hair for dear life as the wind rushed past them. "We'll die!"

"If I really am his Mistress," Zelda yelled. "He'll have to try and save me."

 _So prove me wrong Ghirahim._ Zelda thought. _Because I am not doing to change the state of your heart for you._

And so, Zelda fell headfirst, through the roaring wind and the great sky, towards the large bottles that contained her army, and her possible doom.

To be continued...

* * *

Ok, here are your options: Go check on Liam and see how he and the others are doing (and reunite with another familiar face or two), or continue to part two of this storyline and see if Zelda's plan paid off. (She'll live, of course.)

For the love of everything, please don't do what Zelda just did. Jumping to certain death to get someone to do something is an incredibly stupid idea, and I don't encourage it. FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING, DON'T DO THIS! THIS IS NOT THE ZELDA UNIVERSE, THIS IS REALITY, AND YOU COULD DIE!

Originally, I was going to have Zelda grab Ghirahim and flip him over her when he first does his 'shoulder' thing- I chose not to, because I didn't know if that could physically be possible for her (and the sword was right in front of her, so... sadly, it had to be cut, but the idea was darn funny.)

Also, "This rose had thorns" was a nod from Four Swords Misadventures (I think it was episode 6, and I highly recommend watching the series), which was also a nod to the Snake codec call from Smash Bros. Brawl.

I was waiting to use the Chayne joke for ages- I was going to use it in chapter 6 of Skyward Swaps for a character, but it would have made a certain reveal too obvious.


	6. The bond

**Deanna Saber** : LOL, but considering that Zelda's the reincarnation of the same girl who pushed Link off a high ledge twice in a row... yeah, but we will see what happens.

 **Phoenix Champion** : Oh! May I join you in the delicious feasting? *Om nom nom nom* Where is this field?

Ruto is friends with the Zelda from her timeline, but I think she would see her as a possible romantic rival for Link's 'hand in marriage', much like how Darunia sees Zelda as a sworn brother or sister. (You'll see what I mean, in the flashback coming up in the Death Mountain chapter.)

 **PsycoFangirl** : LOL (Ah I remember that cartoon) Yes, I see the GF as a random, big ham in this fic. I'm writing out the timelines based off what I saw in the game. There was NO way it could of happened after Skyward Swaps, considering a number of obvious in your face facts and dialogue. And I'm sure Zelda's ancestors would understand.

In this case it helps, the Skyloft in this fan fic is before Zelda was born (and giving dear old mom the morning sickness), Eldin Provence is going to be a year or so after Twilight Twists, and Death Mountain comes from the child era timeline, seven years after Ganondorf was 'executed.'

 **HeroAlexa249** : I was surprised that Ghirahim could do mind control, but it made things a lot more interesting (for the darker aspects of the story, now that I think of it.) I think Fi and Volga would make a good team for fighting (brawn and brain) and in this fic, they seem like they could be good friends.

It's possible for everyone to have goodness in them, but I think it's more realistic if someone like Ghirahim allows that possibility and makes the effort on their own, instead of the whole "I can make him good, cause I luv him, desu!" It makes the 'Draco in leather pants' cliche laughable (And yes, I'm making fun of myself at this point). In this case, Ghirahim made his choices because it was what he wanted, and not what someone forced him towards, out of 'love'. (Hylia was more of the 'Mary Sue' in that factor than SS Zelda- thank the stars for that.) At the moment, this Ghirahim feels more like the actual version than the one who develops through Swaps.

SPEAKING of SS Impa...

 **Oberine27:** I feel honored that your first time writing a review is for one of my fan-fics. And you don't sound weird, but know that it's a good thing to be weird: let your voice be heard! :) I'm eager to write the next chapter (I'm looking forward to writing Zant again), but for now, we must see if Dare-Devil Zelda will actually be saved in time.

...

There was something I should have elaborated on: When Groose talked about a 'one way back' it was their means of getting back to their timeline, that Liam provided. I couldn't find a place in this chapter for that, so it will be mentioned in-verse next time.

Anyway, I tried to picture the Sealed Grounds as it was from Skyward Sword, instead of the drastic change from Hyrule Warriors, for a need to feel consistent. I also tried to incorporate Fi's fighting style with the one that was inspired by it for Skyward Swaps (since she is more active and has a Hylian styled form in this series, like Ghirahim.)

There's also a flashback to something that was talked about in Skyward Swaps that I should have fleshed out more in that story, but... ah well.

Oh yeah, warning: spoilers for (ironically) Chapter 6 of Skyward Swaps.

* * *

Chapter 6: The bond

Within what was once the great temple of Hylia, was a withered old woman who could no nothing but watch as monsters escaped the dark abyss that appeared upon the gate of time.

She wasn't there when the abyss appeared on the gate of time (which was forced back into creation, for whatever reason) and she could do little to stop the flow of monsters that escaped into it.

"Your Grace," The old woman silently pleaded as she turned to the doors that had been sealed for many years. "What is this? You made no mention of this dark magic, and I fear for the worst."

"Why do you pray to Hylia when he has abandoned you?"

Though the years had passed, the woman knew the voice all too well. It was the voice of the pursuer, whose heart was colder than the worst winter ever conceived. Despite her fears, she turned to face the girl, who had remained unaffected by time.

"I detect strong Sheikah magic in you." Fi stated. "It's the only thing keeping you alive."

"Anything to see that the destruction of Demise will come to pass!" The old woman snapped while carefully clutching the crystalized bracelet upon her wrist. "As long as there is hope-"

Fi wordlessly summoned a sword and struck it's handled tip into the old woman's skull.

"His Sire abandoned you." Fi spoke as the old woman collapsed.

She turned towards the Gate of Souls and walked towards it- it was as if it wanted to draw her in, and she was almost tempted to go beyond and see if there was anything worth leaving this wretched world behind for.

There was something strange about this temple. Something very familiar to Fi...

"I can feel you, Hylia." Fi spoke as she raised her head to the sky. "Somehow, your physical form is hiding in this temple, despite that your soul hasn't been reborn yet. Did you see that this would happen- that the future would invade our time stream? Of course not- you are as flawed as your creations. There is no Spirited Warrior, nor hero to stop me in time. Every calculation, every detail, and every step that you made to bring the end of Demise- it was all for nothing."

"And so- I shall deliver the punishment you rightfully deserve. You think that we are just mere factors, but so are you."

-Somewhere ? feet up in the air (I'm not good at math)-

"Please tell me you have a back up plan!" Proxy yelled at Zelda as they continued their descent towards the ground and he held onto the brooch on her braid for dear life.

Zelda ignored her fairy companion and closed her eyes: the feeling of free falling through the air made her realize how fun it must have been to have lived in the era of the sky. As scary as the moment was, there was something wonderful and freeing, and a part of her didn't want it to end.

As she smiled, she heard a flash of magic but she didn't open her eyes right away.

"Oh thank Din, you finally showed up!" Proxy yelled at Ghirahim, who had to teleport to catch up to Zelda, and was now stuck in free fall with her. He was perfectly aligned so that he could face her as he fell right side up, and his cape flapped above him- he almost looked like some sort of white handled trident because of this.

Blue eyes opened to meet black and they burned in anger.

"The reason why I care for all of them is because they're my friends and they were there for the Hyrulean Army when we needed help!" Zelda yelled at Ghirahim. "They made sacrifices to help me, and if I abandoned them, then what thanks would that be?! Tell me," She glared at him. "Have you ever felt appreciation for another?! How far would you go to help those you care about?! Or are you just a mere weapon of destruction?!"

In that instant, the anger in _his_ eyes was replaced with shock and he seemed offended by her words. Unfortunately, that disappeared as he gritted his teeth at her. "You dare assume that you know my soul?! You do not know who I am, or what I've been through!"

"Then tell me why Hylia chose you for his intended hero!" Zelda snapped back. "Because I have yet to see it!"

Instead of responding, Ghirahim looked down and saw how far they had left until they would reach the surface and he growled. He then reached out, grabbed onto her and swung her her over his shoulder before snapping his fingers.

They disappeared and reappeared several feet below, onto on of the Great Fairy's containers, and Ghirahim sighed as he stood upon it, while glancing at the girl slung over his shoulder. He hated to admit it, but the girl was determined to the point that she was equal to him in that regard. Foolish, but ridiculously insane... though aggravating to the point that it was as if he was talking to Hylia himself.

He stayed there on that bottle, and didn't move until the bottle was twenty feet from reaching the ground. The first one to reach the ground shattered and faded away to reveal a handful of scared, but unharmed Gorons, who immediately made a run for it when they saw the next bottle coming.

Ghirahim quickly leapt off the bottle, but before he knew it, a gust of wind suddenly engulfed him and held him up in mid air. He was confused, until he saw that his captive had swung an arm out and held a strange looking stick covered in roses. It wasn't until the second bottle shattered and freed it's travelers that she finally looked at him with an amused, yet triumphant smirk.

Ghirahim set her down, but she held onto him as she carefully waved the baton and the wind gently set them back to the ground. Most of Zelda's army watched in amazement as the girl drifted back down, and looked like some sort of wind spirit in the process, before she gracefully landed on the earth with companion in hand.

"I knew this could come in handy." Zelda let go of Ghirahim and smiled at the baton she held as Proxy let go of her hair and checked to see what she held. "I owe Vaati a thank you when I get back."

"So you did have a back up plan!" Proxy realized. "Why didn't you-"

"Oh thank the goddesses!" Groose shakily ran to Zelda and hugged her. "Do you have any idea how horrifying this all was?! My knees are still shaking!"

"It didn't seem as bad as what I had to do!" Zelda laughed as she returned the hug. "I guess we all need to go to Telma's bar when this is over!"

Elsewhere, a few of the Gorons looked faintly sick and had to retreat to recover. "This is why we can't take to the sky!" One of them groaned to Orik. "Maybe Geode did the smart thing after all!"

"I enjoyed it!" Karane beamed. "Remind me to become friends with the Great Fairy sometime!"

As a few of them gave Karane a disturbed look, Groose finally let go of Zelda and glared at Ghirahim. The latter hadn't noticed the red head until this point, and when he did, he gave him a rather distasteful look. "You know, I'm getting really sick of you guys who think they can just do things without telling us first!" Groose pointed a finger at him. "I mean, we thought you kidnapped Zelda-"

"Please tell me your hair not a popular fashion in your era." Ghirahim grimaced at the offending style of Groose's hair. "It's making me feel quite ill. In fact, it's making my gouge rise."

This, naturally, made Groose snap.

"ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT!" Groose was now furious and cracked his knuckles- this was the fourth person to insult him ever since this whole thing began, and he couldn't take it anymore. "I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, BUT YOU'RE ONE TO TALK ABOUT YOU FREAK CLOWN B-"

"FOR THE LOVE OF NAYRU, ENOUGH!" Zelda grabbed Groose's wrist as he made to draw a fist up and punch the odd looking lord. "It's bad enough that the timeline is ruined-!"

"Oh no, _please_ continue." Ghirahim sneered at the young man. "I want to hear the rest of that sentence."

"NO!" Zelda snapped at him. "I am not letting anyone get into petty fights until we finish this! If you want to vent, do it on the enemy, and _then_ you can settle this later!"

That caused a welcome silence amongst the group. Groose finally gave up and turned away, and even the sword spirit was forced to look away, though both now shared a great hatred for the other.

"Now then-" Zelda calmed down, put the baton away, and walked over to see where they were. She could see an old temple, but when she looked down, she saw a twisting slope that spiraled all the way down to a chasm, where she could see faint markings. Already, this place was overrun with monsters, and most of them guarded the front of the temple, but that wasn't what was bothersome.

A strange feeling overcame her- a feeling of dread. There was someone off about this place, and she felt that a lot happened here- horrible, wonderful, and incredibly sad things happened here. She quickly recalled the stories, before she realized why she felt uneasy.

"...This is the sealed grounds." She finally spoke. "This is where the father of all demons is currently sealed away."

There was a sense of dread when the division realized that they were within a mile of the ancient evil. "The one responsible for all the monsters," Orik realized. "And possibly the King of Evil himself-" There was a great shudder at this.

"So down there..." Pipit went to take a look. "He's still sealed away." he grimaced as Zelda took her compass out and watched as it pointed towards the temple. "It figures that one of the gates just _had_ to be within walking distance of his prison."

"As long as we don't mess around too much, we should be safe." Karane tried to be optimistic. "I mean, Ceiya would have to be an idiot if he wanted to wake him up, since that puts everyone's future in danger, right?"

"Right." Zelda spoke as she formulated a plan. "Our goal is to get into the temple and close the Gate of Souls. And just like Karane hinted at, we cannot let our enemies touch that seal." She put the compass away. "We can only guess what can happen if someone tampers with it."

"Definitely." A Goron nervously nodded.

"Hey!" Another Goron looked up and noticed that a number of loftwings were flying down towards them. "I think we're going to get help!" They all looked and saw that the knights would approach them within minutes. It was unexpected, but it was a nice welcome.

"Proxy, get ready to warn the others when you can." Zelda held her hand for the fairy. "And let me know if there's a way in, in case there's a seal upon the temple."

"Got it!" The fairy flew off to look ahead

"Ok!" Zelda turned to them and took a deep breath. "Finish this, and we can all go home! MOVE OUT!"

As the others ran ahead, she turned to Ghirahim. "I warn you." She reminded him. "My men are valuable to me, and those knights are our ancestors- one of which could be the ancestor of your Mistress. Don't let them die, and you can be free to kill as much as you please in exchange. Is that alright?"

Ghirahim huffed and tossed his head. "You aren't my commander girl- no deal can guarantee my services."

"But I'm your Mistress for now, aren't I?" Zelda reminded him. "Help me and I'll return the sword back, so you can wait for the real one."

"Then I suppose I should warn you: the girl you fought is in the temple. I can sense her presence better than any common animal you could think of. Leave her to me, and you shouldn't have to worry your pretty mortal head over your mission."

"The blue haired girl?" Zelda wondered. "Well... I suppose that's fair enough."

-Stage 6-

By the time the knights of Skyloft arrived on the surface, they saw that there saviors were already well ahead of them.

"To think that this is the surface..." Chayne looked around at the alien world. "It's almost overwhelming!"

Gaepora watched on at the sight: many of those strange rock creatures went ahead to clear the way, and some went down into the chasm to clear out the monsters by curling up and rolling down as fast as they could. High above, he could see that three of their kind were setting up some sort of device.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?!" Karane asked Groose as he quickly set up some sort of catapult, with the help of Pipit. "This will be over in no time flat!"

"There's a saying my old man passed down to me!" Groose grunted at her. "That there's always a way to make yourself useful, if you put your mind to it! And what better way than to use our family legacy!"

"You don't mean-" Pipit realized.

"That's right!" Groose beamed as he patted the contraption. "Don't keep your jaws dropped for too long, lady and gentlemen: the Groosenator is up for business!"

 _His family must be really vain._ Karane rolled her eyes.

 _What kind of name is that anyway?_ Pipit wondered. _And now I really want to go back and get a bite to eat when this is over._

 _There's no way I'm going to let another nut-case get to me again._ Groose swore as he continued his work.

"I think we should go in." Gaepora told his men, and he went on ahead- the others followed suit as they readied their weapons.

"Good news!" Proxy told Zelda as she cut through a few weak bokoblins. "There's a door to the east. It's guarded, but it shouldn't be a problem!"

"Good!" Zelda finished her work, and ran to Ghirahim, who was observing the front door to the temple. "Take me to the east- there's a side door!" She commanded him.

"I doubt that will be of use." Ghirahim spoke with slight irritation. "For if this door is sealed by magic, then what is the point?"

"Just try, ok?" Zelda pleaded as she swung her sword into an oncoming bokoblin without looking. The spirit sighed, grabbed her wrist, and teleported them out.

In the temple, Fi sensed the shift in the presence of the commander and the spirit.

"Attempting to go through the eastern door?" She wondered. "I see you took the bait." She closed her eyes and began to issue the command. "They are distracted- now is the time to act."

As Gaepora and his men reached Orik and a few other Gorons, their minds became blank and all thoughts were wiped clean away, along with all that was good in their hearts. Instead, a simultaneous message went through their heads- kill the Gorons, kill the humans, and kill the superiors.

"Oh thank the Goddesses!" Orik laughed as he smashed a bokoblin's face in with his fist. "I'm glad you guys showed up!" He did not notice that when they took their swords out, they did not join him and instead separated.

"Captain, something's wrong!" A Goron noticed the sudden change as one of the soldiers approached them.

"DIE!" The soldier yelled out and charged at Orik with his sword.

"CAPTAIN!" The Goron yelled and ran in between the sword and his captain. The hardness of his body prevented the blow, but the soft side went in the path, and he received a deep cut that made him cry out in pain.

"Sidian!" Orik panicked, before glaring at the knight. "You traitor!" He rushed at him.

Elsewhere, similar problems were occurring- allies were now enemies and they turned on the future children of Hyrule. None could understand what was going on.

"What are you doing?!" Karane yelled at Chayne, who tried to attack her, Pipit and Groose. "You're on our side!" She blocked his sword with her own.

"We fight for Lady Fi." Chayne droned as he held his sword up. "No one else."

"Who?!" Karane asked, but Chayne swung his blade, and the young woman was forced to retaliate.

"Let me focus on him, you guys protect the catapult!" Karane yelled as she blocked another attack.

"It's called the Groosenator!"

"I KNOW!"

"Go to the seal." Fi mentally commanded to Gaepora. "Distract them."

"As you wish." The headmaster went ahead, into the chasm below, where he and a few others went after the Gorons, while the monsters let them be. Proxy noticed this and hurried back to Zelda.

Meanwhile, in the east, Zelda looked on as Ghirahim finished off those who guarded the eastern gate. It was quick work, seeing that most of his attacks had a long range advantage, but she realized that something felt quite off. Even Ghirahim could tell when he looked at her.

"The magic on this temple has faded away. She must have done this on purpose, because it's being directed elsewhere."

"Zelda!" Proxy yelled and the girl looked up. "Something's gone wrong! The knights of Skyloft have turned on us! They see us as enemies!"

Zelda gasped and placed a hand on her mouth- was this done intentionally? What if this was the plan all along: to prevent the sealing, by using their ancestors as guards?

"I- I have to stop them." Zelda told Ghirahim. "If this keeps us from the seal-"

Without warning, she felt herself be transported and found herself back in front of the front of the temple, along with Proxy.

"What the-?" Zelda glanced around. "Why-" She then realized something and frowned. "Of course Ghirahim wouldn't want to spare anyone." She scowled. "So much for being useful."

"That Gaepora guy is heading down to the seal!" Orik yelled at Zelda as he tended to Sidian. "Stop him!"

In an instant, Zelda darted towards the path- if that was the plan, then she had to stop it.

-meanwhile-

Inside the temple, Fi stood in front of the seal and the black chest and waited. When she heard the sound of a familiar type of magic, she did not turn around.

"To control the knights instead of the barrier is an unfortunate exchange." Fi spoke. "Still, as long as they remain unaware, all is preceding accordingly. Your presence here is unsurprising, but it is a welcome" She finally turned to see the red robed man, who held his sword out. "It's been awhile Ghirahim."

Ghirahim grinned, although inside, an anger was burning inside him. "Hello again,Fi- I see you're still here, after so many centuries have passed by. As nice as it is to see a familiar, face, it's one that puts me in a rather foul mood, if you pardon my honesty."

"I see you've altered the look that Hylia bestowed upon you." Fi noted. "Considering what I did that day..."

" _This is a most feared being in all of the land?"_

 _A long, white haired man clutched his stomach, which bore what should have been serious injuries to a normal person, but not to him. He glanced at the young girl in disbelief- no mere mortal should be able to harm him. Hylia, he could understand and certainly the demon king, but this girl who was far below their power?_

" _I know, I'm at a greater advantage since you are not at one hundred percent fit for this. You're still recovering from your injuries, aren't you?"_

" _Who are you to talk down to me?!" Ghirahim demanded and tensed up as the girl slowly approached him. "I am mightier than you could dream to comprehend-"_

 _The girl kicked him right under the chin with all the grace of a dancer and enough force to knock him back. Before he could get up, she slammed a sword into his shoulder and knelt onto his chest._

 _Gods... why was he about to be defeated by a mere child?!_

" _I am meant to be superior to you." She told him before tilting your head. "I see that Hylia gave you a physically pleasing mask to hide the truth to the people." She placed a hand on his face and caressed it. "I admit, it would be unfortunate if I damaged it too much, but still-" She pushed his hair to the side to reveal an ear shaped like Hylia's people. "I want you to know that even someone who's not a god can overpower you. It's about time someone addressed the issue of your vanity." She summoned up a dagger and held it daintily in her fingers before she swiped it downwards._

"And despite how much you try to hide behind your airs and your beauty, one wrong move shows the world just how much of a monster you really are." Fi concluded.

"Oh believe me, I am eager to kill you, after what you did!" Ghirahim showed her the flaw she created before letting go of his hair, which covered it back up. "And I'll gladly take the chance!"

"I see..." Fi held her arms out and her cape began to flap. "I suppose I'll have to improve my performance, since you are completely recovered." Her arms and her cape glowed and seconds latter, the light faded to reveal that they now become one as a sort of pair of 'wings'.

"Do try to keep up." Fi asked as her swords reappeared and she began to over about a foot off the ground.

"Oh believe me, girl." Ghirahim grinned as he held his arms out and pointed his sword at her. "Considering who I am, you won't be disappointed."

The two then proceeded to charge at each other.

-meanwhile-

"Sir Gaepora!" Zelda yelled at the orange knight as he approached the stone spike in the ground. "Leave that alone, it's dangerous!"

"That was the command of Fi." Gaepora turned to Zelda as he readied his sword. "Her word is law, and her approval is my desire."

"No it isn't!" Zelda yelled as she charged at the knight and swung her sword at him. Gaepora blocked it, and the two began to exchange blows.

"What about your wife?!" Zelda yelled as she dodged an attack. "What about your child? Don't you care about their future?!"

"My wife is nothing to me." Gaepora snarled at Zelda. "And I shall give the child to Fi, as a servant- we will all give our children to her, if that will please her!"

"You don't want that!" Zelda growled as she swung at him. "You are a great man, who cares about his wife, and he would never abandon those he cares about!"

Gaepora let out a roar and Zelda ducked a blow.

"Fi isn't your superior!" The young commander yelled at him. "You are the commander and headmaster of the Knight Academy, and you serve your people as a protector, like I do! You will make your child proud, and I will make sure of that!" Zelda finally rammed her shield into Gaepora and while he was stunned, she leapt up and performed with the tip of the handle of her blade a safe, yet powerful helm splitter, which knocked him out.

What Zelda didn't realize was that Gaepora was the source that connected all the brain washed knights, and when he was knocked out, they came to. Chayne was about to attack Karane- who was knocked to the ground- but then he stopped.

"Wh-" He blinked and looked around. "What happened to-"

"AGH!" Pipit knocked into Chayne and sent the man falling toward Karane, who quickly rolled to the side.

"I'm fine!" Chayne protested as he tried to raise from the ground. "Look I-" Pipit punched him in the nose before he could finish and he let out a terrific sound as blood came gushing down.

"THAT'S FOR BACK-STABBING US!" Pipit yelled.

"Oh, Hylia." A knight gasped as he saw what he was about to do and kill of one of the Gorons. "What happened?!"

"Are you ok?" One of the Gorons held his fighting stance, but raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

-In the temple-

Fi swung a blade at Ghirahim, but he blocked and quickly swung his blade out, which sent daggers at Fi, but she quickly dodged before she spun out at him. He dodged as she did so, and avoided the burst of magic and her swords, and summoned up a greater sword, which he swung down upon her, but she quickly saw this and blocked. The second after this happened, she spun at him and hit him a few times, before she flipped in the air and charged at him until he was knocked clear across the room and into a wall.

Ghirahim- not being a normal being- quickly recovered and swung another round of daggers at Fi as he forced himself to get back up. "Having fun yet?" He taunted before charging at her, while she was off guard and struck her.

As Fi was knocked back, Ghirahim enjoyed the sweet victory of finally landing a blow on her and held his blade to his face. "That felt more satisfying than anything those fools could dream of." He stuck a long, serpent like tongue out and licked the blade. "For one so skilled, you don't seem to be enjoying this as much."

"As wondrous as that sounds, I prefer logic over emotion." Fi straightened up. It was at this moment that the old woman finally awoke, and she listened to the conversation of the duo from her place. "Something which you always lacked, even back then."

Ghirahim snarled as she continued. "You even abandoned your commander just to face me. Are you trying to hide your darker urges to kill me, out of petty revenge?"

"Why are you doing this?!" He demanded. "I saw you speak with that overcompensating man in the mask in my slumber! What business does this have to do with that Gate of Souls."

"Because, in the end, Hylia's greatest wish will be for nought." Fi coldly spoke. "The eradication of Demise and the lengths it took was all for nothing. Did you not sense what was in the Sorcerer- the presence he carried? He carried a part of Demise with him."

At this, Ghirahim lowered his blade. "...What are you saying?" He demanded.

"Whatever happens- Demise lives on." Fi spoke. "His influence is unending. If all was for nought... then there was no need to let this wait any longer." Fi raised her arms out. "And this was all a distraction."

Without warning, a black smoke escaped the chest, passed through Ghirahim (who was forced to shield himself) and through the walls of the temple.

Outside, Zelda was hurrying to move Gaepora out of the chasm, with the help of a Goron, when the ground began to shake. She turned her head in time to see the smoke touch the pillar in the ground and the ground's shaking increased until-

Within seconds, a dark beast covered in scales rose up from the ground and reared it's head up as it let out a horrific sound. It was incredibly tall and despite it's abnormal appearance, it bore a mouth lined with many teeth- it's appearance alone was scary, but for Zelda, there was something else to this beast that scared her.

"...No." Zelda's confidence wavered. "It can't be..." This was what she didn't want to happen. She was not prepared for what was happening...

Everyone bore witness to the return of the greatest evil of them all, and they had no idea what to do now. In that moment, they were struck with a great sense of helplessness, since they had little experience with a creature as the dark one.

" _That's_ the father of all evil?" Sidian wondered as a medic paused in his treatment of his wound to gaze at the Imprisoned.

"What do we do now?!" Karane asked the others. "How do we defeat it?!"

Groose turned to the machine that was passed down his family line through generations, and the gears of his head began turning.

The Imprisoned began to walk towards the path, where Zelda and the others were. It was then that Zelda resolved that if she could at least slow the Imprisoned down, then she would do what she must.

"Move him!" Zelda commanded to the Goron who held Gaepora as she readied her sword. "I'll take this!" She rushed ahead, towards the white protrusions on the beast's feet.

-The temple-

"And so, Demise has now returned." Fi stated as she looked at Ghirahim- for once, the spirit looked terrified and was violently trembling as his eyes drifted to the ground. This was something that Fi was not familiar with- the sword spirit who killed many would not be like this without a good reason.

"Are you scared?" Fi spoke. "Why should you, of all beings be afraid? Unless... there is a hidden factor." There was a pause. "Now I remember- _he_ was the one who injured you and left you for dead all those years ago, wasn't he?"

Ghirahim snapped and held his sword out at Fi. "I do not fear him!" He forcefully yelled. "He can rot in that earth, for all I care!"

"And yet I see the recollection in your eyes. Tell me: how bad was it? They said the damage done was so severe, you almost died, had Hylia not treated you."

-outside-

"ARGH!" Zelda was frustrated. She managed to attack the toes and knocked the beast down, but she had no idea what else she needed to do. It's scales were impenetrable, and there was the pillar in it's head, but it had no effect. All she did was for naught, and not only did the Imprisoned get back up, but it slowly flew up the chasm when a black circle came out of it's back.

"THIS IS WHERE I COME IN!" Groose cheered as a bomb was placed in the Groosenator. "Ready?!" He grabbed the handle of the contraption. "And- EAT THIS!" He pulled and the bomb was sent flying into the beast when it was halfway up. The impact made it collapse to the ground, which gave Zelda the opportunity she needed, and she rushed in.

-Temple-

"And yet, here you are, hiding in the temple like a coward." Fi continued on. "Why aren't you helping them?"

Ghirahim was silent.

"...I see." Fi shook her head. "Your too afraid of your memories, that you won't act."

"You must!"

Ghirahim turned to see the old woman push herself off the ground and looked at him. "You were chosen to be servant of the youth... chosen by Hylia. Only the sword- only you can defeat him. No other power-"

"Then Hylia has made a poor selection." Fi cut her off. "It appears that he is too afraid to chose his loyalties. Tell me Ghirahim- that girl you cannot stand- is she worth fighting for? Is that little part of the future worth protecting from Demise? Otherwise, you can just escape into the future and turn your back on the past. Is that not a better alternative? All you have to do is go through the-"

Ghirahim snapped his head back at her in alarm. "She's still out there?!" He snarled and his fingers twitched. "That stupid fool!" He snapped his fingers and disappeared.

"...I should have predicted that outcome." Fi stated.

-outside-

"What do I do?!" Zelda panicked as the monster continue on, despite that it had been knocked down three times (two of them by the Groosenator) and yet it still kept going.

"Zelda?" Proxy appeared by Zelda's side. "Wouldn't we need the sword of Hylia, like in the story?"

"Even if I did, I can't use it!" Zelda gave the fairy a hopeless look. "I'm not the first hero, and even if I was, he won't accept me! I can't be a hero if the Master Sword's spirit can't accept me for doing the right thing! I don't take any joy from war like he does!"

"Zelda, no!" Proxy flew up to Zelda and pleaded. "Look, I'd rather that you care about others while still finding a way to reach your goal. That's what I like about you- that's what we all like about you. And if Ghirahim doesn't accept that, well too bad for him."

Zelda looked up to see that the Imprisoned was going to escape by flying again. If she heard correctly, Groose was out of bombs.

Was there any hope left? How could she stop Ceiya if she couldn't stop the twisted form of Demise?

"Hylia," Zelda prayed aloud as her hope began to fade. "I know I'm not your chosen hero- but please give me strength to protect my world. Give me just one chance-"

A hand grabbed her wrist and she looked to see the last person she expected. "Ghirahim?!"

With a snap of his fingers, they rematerialized on top of the Imprisoned. ("Again with the teleportation?!" Proxy demanded.)

"I don't care who you are!" Ghirahim began as he held onto Zelda, who tried to steady herself on top of the beast. "I saw what was happening when I was asleep in the blade- I saw your enemy- but I was only able to escape the sword when I heard someone sing Hylia's ballad and I saw that it was you! That alone was proof enough!"

"I know you aren't my intended- she's not supposed to be as skilled as you are- but you are a Mistress, none the less, so let's consider this a way of cheating!" Ghirahim's form suddenly shifted and Zelda found, in her hand, was the black sword of Hylia.

"...Thank you Hylia." Zelda sighed and raised the sword up to the heavens. "And forgive me, first hero!" She yelled as she brought the sword down and struck the pillar.

The beast roared, but Zelda did not stop and kept striking until the pillar went into it's forehead. She struck it as hard as she could, and with each blow, she could feel a strength she never seemed to have before- was it through divine help, or was it her renewed strength? Whatever it was, Zelda made sure that she struck the pillar so hard, that Demise would know that Hylia's children no longer feared him as they once had.

Upon the last strike, the beast let out a cry and began to turn into a blinding white light and Zelda was forced to close her eyes.

"Hold on." A voice spoke in her head. A moment later, the sword shifted back into Ghirahim, who grabbed Zelda and leapt off the monster's head and over to the nearest part of the path that was accessible.

All watched as the Imprisoned bursted into white light, which then went back down into the seal, followed by the Pillar, which slammed into the ground.

When Zelda saw this, she closed her eyes and sent a final prayer of thanks to Hylia before glancing back down. "And stay there!" Zelda snapped at the Pillar, before turning to Ghirahim. "As your Mistress, I want you to take me into the temple and finish this." Zelda commanded. "Someone is going to pay for the stress they gave me today."

Ghirahim gave her a pleased nod. "Of course, Mistress."

-the temple-

"So you stopped Demise." Fi greeted as sword and mistress appeared before her. "It appears you were able to overcome your past- that's an unfortunate setback."

"You must be Fi." Zelda frowned as she stepped forward- she now recalled who this girl was and who she was going to be in the future of this era. "You are loyal to Demise, and now to Ceiya, but I assume it's for your own reasons."

Fi's attention went to Zelda. "Ceiya told me to leave you be, and yet you speak with the same familiarity as he did. Who are you, who managed to tame Ghirahim so quickly?"

Zelda confidently swung the sword out for Fi to see. "The protector of this era."

This alerted Fi's attention- specifically, that Zelda was holding Ghirahim's sword, which could only mean one thing. She rushed towards her until she was face to face with Zelda, who backed away in surprise and held her sword up.

"Of course... I suppose that is the most logical explanation." Fi spoke.

"This changes my calculations." Fi told her. "Unfortunately, I can't spare you anymore."

Fi floated back and she took her swords out. "I will have to take you both out- if one goes, then everything else must follow suit. You both represent what I despise, and crushing Hylia's hopes will give me great satisfaction."

"Here you go." Zelda handed the sword back to Ghirahim as she took her own out. "It's not everyday you fight alongside a story."

"I perfectly understand your admiration." Ghirahim stuck the sword into his body (to Zelda's discomfort) which then faded, before he took out his own weapon. "I look forward to this."

At that moment, Fi flew at them, but Zelda was first to respond and blocked the swing of both swords. Ghirahim proceeded to strike out, but Fi dodged and had to almost leap out of the way when he sent more daggers at her. She then flipped and charged forward, but the other two dodged to the side and ran at her while, she recovered.

Zelda made to strike again, but Fi sent a kick into her stomach and she feel to the ground, Fi then ducked when Ghirahim swung at her, but he then summoned a platform from the ground that rose them into the air, before sending her crashing back down to the earth. At that point, Zelda rushed in to attack and landed a blow against Fi's back.

Fi twisted her blades in her own spin attack, but Zelda backed away as Ghirahim rushed in, blade above his head. At that moment, Fi slammed a 'wing' into Ghirahim, and when he was momentarily stunned, Fi charged up some sort of flower petal designed spell that sent out a burst of magic that not only shocked him, but sent him flying.

Zelda gritted her teeth "Over here!" She yelled at Fi, and as soon as the blue haired girl saw her, Zelda ran as fast as she could. The girl flew after her, but Zelda was ready as she heard her come closer, thanks to the sound of the magic that allowed her to fly.

Just before Fi could strike, Zelda slammed her shield out in defense and thrusted the blade forward as she kept her ground to keep from flying off.

"You fight well, but I detect desperation." Fi stated. "Such carelessness will be your undoing."

Zelda glanced back to see Ghirahim rush at them, and she ducked out of the way and knocked Fi's blades to the side as he leapt forward and made to strike. Fi quickly retaliated and held a 'wing' up, before she was injured.

"Is this the best you can do?" Fi asked. "Show me your strength! Show me why they called you the Demon Lord in the days of old!"

Ghirahim let out an animalistic sound and summoned up another sword, which Fi was forced to duck back from, before he summoned up a great sword that he brought down onto the floor and destroyed the ground where she once was. In retaliation, Fi flew towards Zelda, who readied her blade.

What followed was an intense exchange of blows. Ghirahim hesitated for a moment to catch his breath, but then Fi kicked Zelda again, and the girl was thrown into the wall.

"This is the best that Hylia could choose?" Fi wondered.

Fi raised her swords, just as Ghirahim forced himself to do something drastic- if Fi wanted it, then so be it.

"YOU WANT A DEMON?!" He yelled at Fi. "THEN I SHALL GIVE YOU A DEMON!" Zelda then looked up to see him throw his hands into the sky, and he became engulfed in a flurry of diamonds.

Only for Zelda to hear an unexpected cry of pain.

When the diamonds faded away, Zelda was greeted with an unexpected sight: Ghirahim- who was bending over as if to hold himself together- was devoid of clothing, was now a brownish onyx toned color and appeared to be as if made from some sort of metal. However, it was when he struggled to stand straight that Zelda saw something horrific.

His body was covered from head to foot in large, white cracks. He looked like a broken vase that was glued back together, and she could see that he was supposed to have white markings and a perfect muscular physique, but the overall sight made her wonder why it was that he could still be alive and moving.

Ghirahim let out a forced laugh that was laced with pain. "Well, girl? Is this what you wanted to see?!" Pure white eyes glared at Fi in hatred. "This is what he did to me!" He threw his arms out and let out a horrific laugh. "THIS IS THE THANKS GIVEN FOR MY LOYALTY TO DEMISE!" He winced and knelt over, but he was still laughing.

"You cannot let him kill her."

Zelda turned to see the old woman look at her. "Your future relies on the both of them- one cannot live, without the other."

Zelda glanced back to Ghirahim and Fi- even though she could recall the details of the stories now- even though she knew what had happen and what had to happen, no matter how painful it was...

"I have little left to my life anymore." Ghirahim spoke with dark humor as he summoned his sword. "What little purpose is for a sword that is broken?!" He slowly approached Fi. "This constant limbo of being unable to go back, or being unable to fully conform- DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT THAT IS?!" He yelled at them as he swung his sword out.

He staggered and half slumped over like a doll, but he kept his ground. The constant pain that was only felt when reverting to this once glorious form was close to being unbearable, but he didn't care- let them all see the truth, now matter how disgusting it was.

Fi readied her swords. "Then I suppose I should put you down. There is no point in your existence, if this is how you truly feel."

Zelda knew what to do- there was no longer any options, and Liam would have to forgive her one day. She had come too far, and although Fi was too important to this timeline, Zelda felt that the girl deserved what she was about to do- for Gaepora and the others. She had to do it while the girl was still distracted and rushed at her will willing her spirit to be one with the blade to create a special sort of magic.

A magic that was taught to her in secret, in preparation for what was to come, through the teachings of one sorcerer and the lessons passed down from the Hero of Twilight.

Zelda readied her blade and swung it at Fi, who was knocked forward, towards the Gate of Souls. She stopped herself in time, and turned, but it was too late as Zelda charged ahead and held her sword up, when began to glow with a white light.

"YAHHHHHHHH!" Zelda yelled as she struck Fi with a force so hard that it sent the spirit flying into the Gate of Souls.

Zelda knew that she wasn't done yet: She raised her sword skyward and it turned yellow as she readied the spell that Liam taught her.

"Because of you, you brought evil into our world! And now, I shall seal you away, just like Demise!" Zelda yelled at the portal. She swung the blade out, and a yellow light came flying out and hit the Gate of Souls, which then vanished upon contact.

Zelda let out a sigh and put her sword away.

"Idiot!" She turned to see the old woman looking at her. "As loathe as I am to say this, that girl is too important for the future of this land to be sealed away! You should know that!"

"That's not my concern at the moment." Zelda told her. "Everyone's future is at stake, because of that Gate."

"You don't understand-"

"At least I wasn't late!" She snapped before she turned to Ghirahim and her features softened as the spirit finally collapsed to the ground, but he still looked as if he was trying to hold back. "Even... even if I want to prevent what's going to happen..."

She knelt beside him as he turned his gaze to her. "So..." She spoke. "This... this is what he did to you?"

Ghirahim let out a chocked laugh and shook his head. "Disappointed? I should be the most perfect being in all of creation, and this is what he did to me, for all I've done for hime!"

"I-" Zelda was suddenly at a loss. She felt pity for him, and for some reason, her eyes felt as if they were going to well up. She felt like an idiot in that moment, for not having better foresight. She allowed the present to block out the past, and she could have done things a lot differently if she knew better.

She closed her eyes as tightly as she could and bent her head back before asking. "Are you always in pain because of those injuries?"

Ghirahim stared at her and the madness in those white eyes died. "Not if I'm in the other form." Ghirahim bowed his head in shame. "I can only be restored, if I aid the hero."

"Then go back to the other form." Zelda told him. "Don't push yourself and be in pain out of pride and anger."

"I didn't do this out of pride!" Ghirahim snapped at Zelda as he became engulfed in diamonds. When they faded, he reverted back to his pale ashen clothed form, but he still looked at her in annoyance with onyx colored eyes. "I was doing it for my own reasons!"

Zelda shook her head as she tried to stay positive. "At least I'm glad about one thing-" She got back up and held a hand out for the spirit. "Ghirahim," She began. "Even though we didn't agree on everything, I owe you this: Thank you. Thank you for coming to my aid. If you weren't there, I don't know what could have happened." She smiled.

-outside-

"Thank the Goddesses it's all over!" Orik sighed as everyone gathered near the temple, while the medic tended the wounded.

"I'm really sorry!" The knight who injured Sidian apologized.

"Ah, it's fine!" The Goron chuckled. "I've had worse. Ever had your best friend try to trap you in a cave with a bunch of re-deads as a joke?"

Groose looked at his contraption and smiled. "I guess I owe my ancestor a lot of thanks." He patted it. "It's nice knowing that he could still be looking out for our world." He chuckled.

"Hi Pipit." Karane walked towards the young man, who smiled at her. "Oh hello! Uh... You don't think breaking a guy's nose is-"

"Do you wan't to go out for a date when this is all over?!" Karane finally bursted. When Pipit gave her a stunned look, she added. "Look, we just faced Demise of all beings. It was scary, it made me think, and I want to ask before someone else does, while we still have time!"

Pipit blinked. Then smiled. "You know- I was thinking the same thing."

"What?" Karane blinked.

"Six o' clock, your choice of a place to eat at, and a stroll in the public gardens." Pipit added. "Unless you want something else."

As happiness filled Karane's heart, she confessed. "It's a little simple, but I think it's a good start."

She then heard the sound of doors and saw Zelda leave the temple with Ghirahim and she snickered and thought: _Looks like they're getting along fine. I wonder if something good will come out of it._ She laughed.

Zelda looked around as she and Ghirahim left the temple, until she saw Proxy, who flew up to her. "Looks like all went according to plan, despite that someone woke up Demise." Proxy happily chirped.

"And ruined the past by throwing Fi through the gate." Zelda muttered.

"What?" Proxy asked.

"Let's just say that Liam is going to be mad at me for a number of reasons when we get back." She then noticed Gaepora, who approached her.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "Our actions were not our own."

"It's fine." Zelda accepted. "I knew the whole time."

"Soon, we must leave." Gaepora continued. "We cannot stay here on the surface, if our home is still in danger of the corruption of time."

She glanced around to the others- victory, though wondrous, was incredibly exhausting for all of them, and the Skyloftian knights were slightly isolated from the rest, due to their guilt for their actions.

They could use a smile. It looked like the clouds were going to part to allow the sun to come through at any moment now, and Zelda needed to give the past her thanks as best as she could.

Zelda pulled out the harp that Shadow gave her, and strummed it as a warm up as she walked towards the others. They turned when they heard the harp, and were now curious as to what she would do or play.

"Thank you all, for what you've done today." Zelda spoke out. "We had to be taken through some rather dreadful experiences, but we went through them and we won- together. It took our own skills to win, and I'm glad that I was able to command a wondrous division."

"What are you going to play?" Karane asked.

Zelda grinned at her and began to strum a warm up. "Song of the Hero. It seems fitting, but I'm open to some harmony if you want to join." And so, Zelda began to strum out the familiar notes, and those who never heard of it began to listen.

It started out as a pretty song, but then a few Gorons began to sing out it's harmony. At first, it was quiet, but then the harmony built up, as the three hylians and a few more Gorons- including Orik- joined in.

What the Skyloftian people and Ghirahim heard was something... grand. Something that spoke of a timelessness that could make spirits soar. Little did they know, this was the great legacy that would be passed down through time itself.

" _Through forests, and over the hills,"_ Zelda sang as the harmony briefly dropped, " _you shall go forth, to write out your story. Stay strong and you shall go very far, and they'll sing of your glory."_

 _Take courage to face the trials... Ne'r fear... the way shall.. be clear_." Zelda looked up and saw that Ghirahim was listening attentively to her. " _Keep hope and... stay strong... and you shall go far, and your heart shall lead you along_."

Ghirahim listened to the girl- who had a rather pleasant voice to hear, in addition to great skill with the harp. But as he did something unexpected happened.

It must have been a trick of the light that escaped from the clouds, but for a moment the commander disappeared and someone else replaced her as she continued to sing and play the harp. She was replaced with a girl who- though not as beautiful as the other one, and was dressed more like a citizen of Skyloft- had a slight resemblance to the commander. Or more accurately... she looked an awful lot like Gaepora's wife, Marni.

" _Oh hero... chosen by fate_." She sang as the others resumed their harmony. " _May your hope never stray... may courage guide your way_."

The girl gave Ghirahim a sweet smile as the Gorons finished their harmony. Then the girl faded away to reveal the commander, who still bore that smile. Ghirahim didn't understand what it meant, but he had a feeling as to who the girl was... and what the commander was in relation to her, if it meant what he thought it meant.

After there was a great round of applause for Zelda, she thanked them and it wasn't until a few songs later that it was almost time to go.

As the loftwings flew down from the sky, Zelda walked to Ghirahim, with harp in hand. She realized that she would have to say good-bye to him too, although there was a strange feeling that it was not going to be permanent.

Fate was tricky like that.

"...I..." She began. "I never imagined I would ever see Skyloft, or even meet you face to face, but it's been quite an honor. I think I can see why you are remembered so fondly."

Ghirahim hummed, before throwing his hands out. "Well, that settles it: I'm bound to you, so I have no choice but to help you until this era is returned to it's proper form."

Zelda was taken aback. "A-Are you serious?!"

"You are not the Mistress, but you are a Mistress, so I am in your debt. I don't look forward to being locked away so soon, and I believe you could use my help."

"I can't promise that my era would be to your satisfaction." Zelda tried to reason with him. "There's so many monsters invading it, but your appearance might come as an unwelcome shock to my superiors."

"And yet, your appearance was a pleasant welcome." He smirked. "Hylia made a great error in limiting the number of those who could pull the sword out, and it means something if you were able to do that. I really wish I could see the look on his face if he saw what had transpired today."

"It's rather strange." Zelda somewhat agreed. "But what bothers me is the reason as to why Ceiya wants me alive, because I no longer hold what he wanted. There's also the question of why Fi would agree to help him, other than the chance to gave a wish upon the Triforce."

"I have an answer to that." Ghirahim thought of what Fi told him. "But for now, I believe I need a proper reintroduction from you." He then straightened up and looked at Zelda. "What is the name that which I must speak and hold sacred, until we are no longer bound?"

Zelda blushed at the almost intimate sounding part of his words, but she fought it off and smiled. "It's Zelda."

Ghirahim bowed. "Well then, Mistress Zelda- I am at your service, until your mission is complete."

And so, Zelda temporarily became the pre-mature master of the sword of Hylia... little knowing of how the thread of fate bound her to the sword itself.

"...Oh sweet Din." Sidian noticed this and turned to Orik with a look of doom in his eyes. "Why do I get the feeling something awful is going to happen if we bring him back with us?"

-outtake special-

-How to slack off in the era of the Sky-

"Alright you lot, listen up!"

Groose waited by the Groosenator as a Goron looked at five other Gorons. "Here's how the game works- you get fifty rupees if you go clear across the chasm. You get nothing if you can go over but fail to cross over. A hundred goes to whoever lands near the pillar."

"And what happens if we free the Imprisoned?" A Goron demanded.

"...We pay for your leave from duty, until you get a job."

Orik and Sidian watched, along with the rest of the group, as the Gorons commenced their game of stupidity.

"FORE!" Groose yelled as he launched a Goron into the air.

"There goes Ig." Sidian commented as the Goron soared through the air.

"FORE!"

"There goes Pyr." Sidian commented as another Goron happily yelled as he soared through the air.

"FORE!"

"OH GODS NO!" A Goron panicked and flailed as he was sent a little too up and went soaring almost straight down.

"There goes Iro's dignity." Sidian commented.

"You guys are idiots."

Orik and Sidian turned to see all the hylians and Skyloftians were giving the Gorons questionable looks.

Hell, even Zelda had to stop playing her harp, as she debated on when to stay or go (before the Imprisoned broke free.) and even Ghirahim was taken aback by the Goron's sense of fun.

"...Hey, you guys get all the glory. We _know_ how to have a good time." Orik told them.

"...So," Zelda turned back to the others. "What next? Song of Storms? Bolero of Fire? Oath to Order? Nayru's theme? Ballad of the Wind-Fish?"

"Play Molgera's theme!"

"Stone Tower Temple theme!"

"Linebeck's theme!"

"MY THEME!" (Take a guess.)

"DANCING DRAGON DUNGEON THEME!"

"...What?"

* * *

I'm almost tempted to write out the Ocarina fanfic and finish the first three dungeon half before getting to Darunia and Ruto, but I'm worried that I'll lose all interest in this series if I do that.

...I literally thought of Zelda's back-up plan after posting the last chapter. I had other, _safer_ ways of getting her and Ghirahim to get down to the Sealed Grounds, but the leap of faith was too good to pass up and the idea of Vaati possibly teaching her magic made sense and holds future potential for the fic. (I still have yet to get the Glorious Baton- damn you, square B-4 for making this impossible to get to!)

Also: I could never do justice for suitable lyrics for Song of the Hero/ the Zelda theme. (I thank AlttP for giving a sense of flow for them.)

Next chapter: Mr. Exposition finally gets a real personality (probably) and we reunite with McCrazy- sorry- _King_ McCrazy Pants.


	7. Twilight's Limbo

**AMaeJay:** I think the HW incarnation of Zelda wouldn't abandon her people so easily (except for those few weeks between level 1 and 2) and she comes across as a motivator for the army. The music helped influence the fight scenes, but it was fun to revisit the complicated relationship between Ghira and Fi (without giving away all the spoilers.)

Also, I have a feeling you would have fun with Phoenix Champion. *noms on ham sandwich.)

 **PsycoFangirl:** Lana comes across as a tad bit of an exposition character, and so does Liam, so this is where I try to fix that. Also, stay for the outtake: I had it planned for a long time, ever since chapter 14 of Twilight Twists, thanks to you.

 **Phoenix Champion:** I think you should invite AMaeJay to the feasting, seeing as she's throwing ham everywhere.

The timeline will be fixed back to the way it's supposed to be- but I can't say to what extent or what cost at this point. Zelda didn't launch Fi anywhere near that point in time. When Link did the same thing in the game, it didn't say where Ghirahim was sent (though we could assume anything by this point, since the game isn't good with including more to the story.)

 **patrick the almighty observer:** Fi will survive. If Ghirahim survived Hyrule Warriors, so will she. It will take some time before we get to the big bad partner up in the desert, but I hope it will turn out to be good.

 **To answer everyone's question:** Fi didn't kill Impa, and Impa didn't magically come back to life. I tried to have her hit her skull with the handle end of the sword, since death was out of the question.

Everyone… bow to your king.

* * *

Chapter 7: Twilight's limbo

There was a time when the dark interlopers once inhabited the land of Hyrule. This was what Beliah recalled as she and a handful of the Twili stayed protected under the magic veil of Twilight- it was among the many that now dotted the large provence.

"Our ancestors were thrown out of this world by these people." Beliah scowled as she gripped her flaming red hair which was tied back, but still long enough that it almost reached her heels. "And then a strange man in a mask came to cast us back in. What kind of divine logic works like that?"

"You have a way of putting it like that." Beliah turned to see the small army of Twili- at least ten of them, including the speaker, and excluding their superior. The speaker was one of two girls who had purple black hair, and while hers was in a short bob, the other had hers done in low pony tails.

"The greater question is what he could possibly want with our kingdom." The girl spoke as she examined a snake that curled around her arm. "I'm surprised His Majesty took it rather well when we were all sent through that portal. It was magic unlike anything we've known."

"And it was right in the middle of your proposal for establishing a testing site on those islands for magic, Beliah!" The girl's twin complained as she cradled a shadow insect. "He was really happy about it too!"

"Speaking of which." Beliah looked to the guards who were now turned into soldiers. "How much longer until he comes back?"

To answer their question, a figure suddenly entered through the veil of Twilight. As soon as he entered, everyone stood up in alert attention, and Beliah let go of her hair as she bowed in respect. "What news, Your Majesty?" She asked.

Their superior glanced at all of them. "It appears the bulbins have sworn allegiance to the Sorcerer. What a shame- I had hopes for cooperation on their behalf."

"So we are on our own." A Twili knight realized out loud as he gripped his spear.

"And yet, we all are among the most powerful of magic users and warriors of our people." The superior reminded him, before adding. "The first one to find the Sorcerer before I do may help me in the... interrogation." His smile, though modest, did not hide what was burning inside is eyes: the burning of an anger so great, that he would let it consume him, if he so desired.

-Stage 7-

Despite how bad things seemed, Liam was actually excited. He never imagined that he would actually go into the past, and there was so much potential for additional research. Not to mention actually interacting with the people of the past.

"How do we get back?" Ashei demanded. Liam turned to face the captain and half of the Hyrulean army and smiled. "I have a spell that I gave to both Impa and Zelda. It will send us straight back to Hyrule Castle when we close the gate."

"So I take it we can't let anyone know we are from the future, despite the obvious?" Marsh asked.

"It's preferable, but our main concern is the Twilight." Liam admitted. "Also, if you see any wolves, leave them alone."

There was a chuckle amongst the knights at the historic joke, though Koji frowned at this- he couldn't tell if Liam was joking or being serious.

"Lady Ashei." He quietly whispered to the woman, who turned to face him. "Have you heard anything about this 'Liam'? He knows quite a lot about what is going on, and I feel that he's keeping something from us."

"He's strange." Ashei muttered back. "But I've never heard of a sorcerer named Liam."

 _It's like he never existed_. Koji thought. _The Royal Family tries to keep track of the clan of magic users, but the name of Liam the White Sorcerer may as well be foreign to my ears._

The group soon passed through the line between Hyrule and the era of the Twilight Realm and the orb faded away. They could see that the old Eldin Provence was not only overrun with bulbins, but there were small areas engulfed by Twilight.

Liam frowned- this whole area should have been completely covered by Twilight. He quickly opened his book and began to chant, just as a horde of bulbins ran towards them. At the head of the bulbins was one that was obese, green, large, and had two broken off horns.

"Now that Impa is gone, I can use this." Ashei put her sword away and began to pull something out of her pouch. Those who didn't immediately rush into battle watched as she pulled out what looked like a heavy pair of gauntlets and a ball and chain. "It's about time that I have another chance to take away her glory." She smugly added.

"That... looks like it could do some damage." Koji nervously stepped away from Ashei as she put the gloves on.

"Then tell everyone to stay away." Ashei picked up the chain and held the ball out. "I want my space." She grunted as she rushed in and began to swing the ball around and smashed it into many bulbins. Those who were wise and didn't want a broken back or worse ran away from her as quick as they could. Even the Bulbin King waited, before he could have a chance to strike.

"As blunt with her weapons as she is with words." A female knight spoke out as she nervously backed away.

Liam stopped the spell and gave up- there was too much Twilight to figure out what was going on, or where the gate was located. Worse, he could hear screaming from a distance- specifically, Kakariko Village.

"Alright!" He began. "Search carefully, get every monster that you can, and stay away from the Twilight, our first priority is to get to the village!"

"Half of you, follow me!" Koji called out to the others as he lead the charge towards the village, while only a small few stayed to help Ashei (who barely needed it at that moment.). Realizing that they probably wouldn't take orders from him, Liam ran ahead.

As he and the others fought their way to the village, they saw that it was becoming overrun, with monsters, and many villagers were hurrying into buildings for their lives. Almost all of them made it out, but one person caught his attention, because a group of monsters cornered her against the wall of the hill.

The blonde haired girl with a basket, parasol, and bug themed clothing was immediately recognizable to Liam (for reasons he would not dare speak of, until another time) and he rushed to her aid.

"D-d-d-d-" The girl trembled as she held her arms up. "D-dont squish me!" But her pleas fell on deaf ears to the green skinned leader, who raised his weapon up, in preparation to strike her.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Liam roared as he leapt into the sky and sent bursts of magic out, which rained down upon the beasts, and the girl cried out in alarm.

As soon as he was finished, Liam landed in front of the girl and got back up. "I'm sorry for frightening you." He apologized when she saw that she had flinched from fear. "But I'm glad you're safe."

Relief shown in the young girl's violet eyes, and she gave Liam a happy curtsey. "Yes, thank you so much! And who might you be?"

"I am Liam." Liam smiled. "And I am looking for the Gate of Souls." He frowned. "I just... don't know where to look." He turned to the girl- if he chose his words carefully, he might win her cooperation. "Correct me if I am wrong, but are you the one known as the Princess of all insects?"

"That is correct!" the girl beamed. "I am Agitha! And it's an honor to meet you, Liam!"

Liam thought for a moment- this girl was a noblewomen from the Castle Town, and she was supposed to be trapped in the Twilight that covered that region. Something was incredibly wrong about this: all of it.

"Your highness." Liam nervously asked. "How... long as it been since the coronation of King Link Lykaon Hyrule?"

Agitha giggled. "That was about a year ago! In fact, I was there myself! It was quite an event!"

Liam felt his blood run cold. If the coronation already happened, then the Twilight should have been gone from Hyrule. The only possible reason would be if... no... it... could Ceiya _really_ have gone that far?

"Your Highness?" Liam tired to hide his nervousness and smiled. "Do you know about what I seek?"

The girl hummed and put a finger to her lips. "Gate of Souls? I've never heard of it..." She then looked as if she had an idea. "but I can take you right where you want to go!"

"Um... how would you do that?" Liam asked.

Agitha then took a bottle out of her basket and opened it to allow a beautiful blue butterfly to fly right out. Liam gasped upon realizing it was a Godess Butterfly.

"With the Goddess Butterfly, of course!" Agitha smiled at the insect in admiration. "It should take us through the Twilight Realm."

Liam watched as the butterfly flew away, towards a direction, before Agitha chased after it. "Wait a minute!" He panicked as she ran past the monsters and chased the butterfly. He quickly followed suit and made sure to finish off as much as he could, before they could strike the 'princess' down.

"You ought to be a good one." Ashei turned to King Bulbin, who brought out his axe. She readied the ball and chain, just as he came lumbering his way towards her.

King Bulbin roared out and swung his axe, and Ashei swung her ball out at him. The two weapons clashed against each other and went in reverse directions upon impact- both were too well matched.

"Fine!" Ashei switched to her sword and temporarily abandoned her other weapon. "Guess I'll have to do this the boring way!" She hurried at King Bulbin, who swung out, but this time, Ashei was light and she was able to duck and roll before she was cut down.

"Take this!" She yelled and made to strike, but King Bulbin then struck her with his arm. As soon as she fell to the ground, she quickly held her blade up, just before she could get struck by the axe. The end result blocked the attack, but Ashei could barely fight against King Bulbin's strength.

"I have other matters to attend." King Bulbin suddenly spoke out, just as a large boar like creature came forward. Before Ashei could react, King Bulbin withdrew his axe and got onto the boar, which then hurried off as fast as it could.

"...What was that about?" Ashei got up and put her sword away, before returning her gaze to the ball and chain.

All the way on the other side of the village, Liam was still protecting Agitha from the bulbins.

To Liam's horror, Agitha hurried towards one of the sections of the land that was covered in twilight, and before he could yell out, she went through it.

"Even if it's dangerous, I can't let her die!" Liam frantically went against his better judgement and dashed though the darkness, where everything look on a strange haze and Agitha was smacking the bulbins within with her parasol.

"Hooligans!" She snapped at them. "You do not hurt a lady!" She huffed as she knocked one back and hurried after the butterfly.

"...She's not affected?" Liam realized. "How is that- and how am I-?"

He quickly ran out of the Twilight from where he came and saw the rest of the knights coming. "It's safe!" He yelled and dashed back into the Twilight.

Meanwhile, Ashei had finished what was left of her work and was rushing through the village when a voice called out her name. "Lady Ashei!"

She turned to see an oddly dressed man (a shaman?) standing by the safety of a building with a young girl by his side. "I'm glad to see you are safe!" He continued. "Do you know what is going on?"

"How do you know my name?" Ashei demanded.

"It's Renado, Ashei. Don't you remember?"

Ashei scowled and continued on her way. She didn't have time for any of this- the cry for battle beckoned to her, and she would answer it, one way or another.

"I hope she didn't lose her memory too, father." The girl turned to the shaman. "That would be unfortunate."

"Agreed, Luda."

Meanwhile, with Liam...

Liam ran as fast as he could, until he found the self proclaimed bug princess, who was opened a pair of gates to a keep. "A pair of termites once taught me that trick." She giggled.

"Why are there just small sections of Twilight?" Liam wondered out loud. "Why not the whole land?!"

"Agit- Your Highness, please stay by my side!" He held onto the girl as the butterfly seemed to patiently wait for them. When the knights finally caught up, they hurried on ahead.

"Give us a break!" one of them complained. "We don't have enough stamina for this!"

"Bulbins, Aerafoes, Darknuts-" Liam noticed as they entered another section of the Twilight. "It's bad enough we have to deal with all of them! What is going on here?!"

Unfortunately, the worst possible reason came moments after they were delayed by another wave of monsters and they were forced to fight them off, while the butterfly flew off. As soon as the fated army were free to continue on, a voice called out to them.

"That's far enough!"

Liam turned around, as did the others when a smaller group approached them. They all bore exotic dark clothing or armor with neon colors, and each one varied in size or shape and had unnatural greenish or blueish skin tones. Some were incredibly squat, and some were very slender- with the exception of the one at the front, who was a rather thin, but incredibly lovely woman with long hair.

"Are you in league with the one who calls himself Ceiya?!" She demanded.

Liam starred in shock- even with the Twilight around them all, these beings should not be in this land again.

"The Twili." He gulped. "So you _are_ the ones behind the veils of twilight. How did you escape from that realm? I thought the Mirror of Twilight was shattered by your monarch when-"

"May I take it from here, Beliah?" A deep voice cut in. "It appears this one is quite knowledgeable about us."

Liam froze when he heard that voice- he knew that voice very well, since he had seen recordings of the owner from inside Ceiya's temple. "No," He pleaded in a whisper. "Please don't be him, please don't be him."

The Twili parted and Beliah moved out of the way to reveal a tall Twili flanked by two young girls- each one looked like they were in their mid-teens and each bore some sort of strange creature.

The leader of the Twili was better dressed than the others, and he bore a reptilian motif in his armor and adornments. Ironically, he seemed to bear the face of a snake and he shared the same pupiless yellow red eyes that the others had.

"Zant." Liam quietly spoke: this was not going to be good.

"How curious." This Twili mused. "I see that you all look like the knights of Hyrule, and yet you do not flinch away in fear of us, like they do."

He then held his hand up to reveal that the butterfly was trapped in an orb of magic.

"Let that go!" Liam demanded. "We have need of the butterfly!"

"And be a bother to my forces?" Zant asked. "How would I not know that it is poisonous?"

"It is quite pretty." The long haired twin that stood next to Zant looked at the butterfly in awe.

"Actually, the butterfly you see now is not of a poisonous genus, I can assure you!" Agitha maneuvered her way through the soldiers and stood next to Liam, who turned to watch. The girl was annoyed by the Twili, as if he was clueless, which surprised Liam and the others.

Liam turned to Zant and saw that there was a flash of recognition in the man's eyes. "Agi-?" He quietly spoke, before he stopped himself.

"This is a Goddess Butterfly." Agitha smiled. "Ask it kindly and it will guide you anywhere you want to go. Isn't that nice?"

This really excited the long haired twin, who looked at Agitha as if she just made a new friend, while the shorter haired one shot her sister an annoyed look. As for their leader, he looked at the butterfly in thought as he brought it closer towards him. The orb of magic broke, and it looked as if all would be over, until he spoke to it.

"Take me to the Black Sorcerer in the bird mask." He commanded.

The butterfly flew off, and he then hurried after it.

"Wait!" Liam ran ahead but, the Twili blocked him off and readied their weapons. "We have gone through enough to get back home!" The sole Twili who was weaponless told him. "Go to the Twilight and stand guard." She addressed the girls and the Twili knights, who hurried after Zant, before turning to face them.

"Come back!" Agitha pleaded and hurried after the others, but then something strange happened- Beliah's hair suddenly lit up and split apart into six spear like appendages that extended outward and knocked Agitha to the side.

"Agitha!" Liam turned to Beliah in alarm.

"I warn you." She growled as her hair poised in preparation to strike.

"We have this!" One of the knights rushed forward, as did the others. Beliah's hair flew out and went to attack each of her opponents, which gave Liam a chance to run past her, as did Koji, who had a feeling that the girls would be dangerous, like the other woman. Behind them, the knights were at a slight disadvantage, since their opponent could walk past them, while her 'spears' moved like great tendrils and struck out at them.

"Cut them off!" A knight yelled. "It's just hair!"

Beliah shot the man a dark look and one of her 'spears' stretched out towards him. Before he knew it, it wrapped itself around his waist, and she proceeded to toss him as high into the air as she could manage. Even if they tried to take her 'weapon' away, it would only come back- they may as well have been flies to her.

"We have to dispel the Twilight, or the enemy will be too strong to fight off!" Liam told Koji.

"I'll take care of one of the twins!" Koji yelled at Liam. "Miss, you should run from battle!" He yelled at Agitha. "It's going to get dangerous!"

"I will not be swayed!" Agitha yelled back. "I must protect that butterfly!"

"Just let her go!" Liam yelled back to Koji. The sheikah sighed and went after the short haired twin, who ran into the nearest shadow of Twilight, along with her set of guards.

"What are you doing?!" The girl snapped at Koji as she turned around and quickly summoned out a whip with magic. "We have no business with the light dwellers!" She cracked the whip as her snake slithered into her dress for safety.

"Sorry my lady, but I'm afraid your concern isn't as important as what's happening at the moment." Koji readied his naginata.

"I refuse to once again be someone's pawn for this world!" The girl angrily swung her whip and struck out at Koji, who was forced to quickly dodge the attack.

 _Ok... maybe she's a lot more dangerous than I suspected._ Koji realized that he could not let her whip wrap itself on his weapon, or he would be at a loss.

In addition to the fact that the Twili were charging right at him.

"I'll take care of this section!" The long haired twin told Zant when they entered another veil of Twilight and summoned out a shield with spikes on the end as Liam and Agitha approached.

"I really don't want to kill that girl." She moaned in annoyance, but she rushed on ahead, and swung her weapon at Liam, who was forced to dodge. The Twili knights that followed the girl then went after him, and he was forced to send walls of magic out to push them away from himself and Agitha.

"You have to let us pass!" Liam pleaded to the twin as Agitha hurried ahead. The young Twili noticed this and quickly rushed ahead and smacked the girl with the back of the shield. Agitha almost fell over, but she recovered and gave the Twili a cold glance.

"No one hits the princess of the bug kingdom and gets away with it, you fiend!"

And before anyone knew it, a huge, green horned beetle came out of nowhere, in front of Agitha.

"What the-" The Twili was knocked over by the beetle, who charged after her like a bull and began to charge ahead at the Twili knights. This gave Liam enough time to move on ahead.

"Please let me get there on time!" Liam pleaded as he hurried to follow the Twili King.

Unfortunately for Liam, Zant had already approached Ceiya, who was waiting at the corner of the patch of Twilight where he was at an advantage.

"Oh, if it isn't the nut-case." Ceiya muttered to himself as Zant stood waiting in front of him. "How's the realm of light?" He asked the Twili, who quickly trapped the blue butterfly in an orb before it could get away.

"You forced me and my men out of our home." Zant stiffly reminded him. "If any of us had actually died, I would have sliced you down from head to foot."

"Well that's really unfortunate." Ceiya admitted. "I actually wanted to see you lose that calm facade and reveal your true power."

"Are you trying to press your luck?" Zant asked. "Because I-"

"CEIYA!"

The black sorcerer sighed and turned to face Liam. "I was hoping you would have been someone else. By the way, you look like a generic school boy, with that book of yours."

"What are you doing Ceiya?!" Liam demanded. "You can't force the realms to merge once again! This could ruin history!"

Ceiya mockingly whacked his staff into his hand a few times. "True, but considering the new source of my power, I can do whatever I please- remember?" He held his hand up and the full mark of the Triforce shown in all it's glory. It was a sight that didn't please Liam, because there was no telling what Ceiya would do with the Triforce.

Zant was startled by the sight of that mark- he remembered it and it's great significance all too well. "How did you possess that power?" He demanded.

"As much as I want to answer that question- and see the look on your face-" Ceiya chuckled. "I'm afraid I need to go back to your realm for some recruiting." He then vanished into dark magic.

Zant was confused. He was also angry, and he felt a tremendous desire to strike out at someone. The preferable target was the blue haired man who interrupted his conversation with his newfound enemy.

"You." Zant turned to Liam. "Are you in league with that man?!"

"I need that butterfly back!" Liam demanded to him. "Without it, your realm is in danger!"

"Then I guess I will dispose of those impostors you ally yourself with!" Zant then vanished into dark particles Twili magic.

Liam yelled in frustration, before rushing to try to look for the King.

-meanwhile, across the battlefield-

"YOU!"

Beliah turned to see Ashei, who had her ball and chain ready.

"Oh good, another fly." Beliah glared at the woman. "At least you will be a challenge."

"Likewise." Ashei grunted, before rushing in. Beliah, sent her hair out to Ashei, but the captain ducked and then swung her ball out at the woman, who quickly retracted her hair and formed another shield in defense.

"You know, I think we should help the village and take care of the bulbins." One knight commented to the others.

"Yeah." "Agreed." The others went on ahead to find their use elsewhere.

"You're good!" Koji panted as he swung his weapon at the whip wielding twin, who tried to strike his head, but he swung out at her with the Naginata. As skilled as the other knights were, he was more than capable of being a match for them, but there were still a few who waited for their chance to go in. Koji knew he had to keep his senses in top form, if he wanted to turn the battle in his favor.

The girl merely dodged his next attack and quickly sent the whip out until it caught his legs and wrapped itself around them.

"I'm better!" She taunted as she gave the chain a yank and pulled him down to the ground.

"That's dirty!" Koji spat when he scrambled to get back up. So much for keeping his senses in top form.

"Not all is fair, boy!" She told him as she pulled the chain towards herself and dragged him closer to her. "As cute as you are, I need to get this over with!"

"Are you flirting with me?!" Koji asked in disbelief. "And hey- I'm about as old as you are, so don't call me boy!"

Meanwhile, Agitha already had the advantage, thanks to the unusual gift of not only summoning up various insects, but the beetle she used protected it's ruler and did a number on the knights. It was when she summoned a great butterfly that was large enough to ride on that her opponent realized that there was no way she could win. She specialized in close range combat and to toss her shield at the bug would have been a grave mistake.

"Ok, you win!" The long haired twin sighed in relief and gave up to Agitha. "I don't know how, but you can summon large bugs and I don't want to hurt them!"

The first of the Twilight dispelled from the field.

"ARIADNE!" The short haired twin yelled when she sensed which part disappeared. Unfortunately for her, it gave Koji enough time to rush in and smash the pole of his weapon into her body and knocked her down.

"I prefer a code of honor!" Koji held her against the ground as much as he could. "You are no warrior!"

"I'm a Royal Aid!" The girl snapped as she grabbed the naginata and tried to push it off her. "I never said I was a warrior!"

In retaliation, her snake shot out, wrapped itself around Koji's arm, and bit him. The boy winced in pain, but he held his grip.

"I am not like my sister!" She snarled. "I will not let my weakness overtake me!"

"Nor will I!" Koji spoke. "I sense much shadow in this realm, and though you are saturated in it, I can sense that it is pure. None of you should be our enemies, so please listen to me for a moment!"

At that moment, he felt the tip of a spear touch the back of his neck.

"Get off Lady Daphne, or this goes through your neck." The Twili knight cautioned.

Koji blamed the Twilight for clouding his senses that day.

-the part you guys probably wanted-

Elsewhere, Liam glanced to the bridge of Eldin and hurried on his way. There was another patch of Twilight, and if he managed to get it, then the Twili would be able to listen to them.

However, as soon as he made it to the center of the bridge, Zant reappeared in front of him.

"I am getting tired of you, boy!" He snarled. "So pardon me, if I feel the need to vent my frustration on you!" He threw his arms out and out came long scimitars, just as a serpentine like helmet covered his face on it's own.

"If you could just listen to me!" Liam yelled as he readied his magic and rushed towards him.

"Oh good, a magic user." Zant readied himself as his voice raised up an octave (or so it sounded to Liam). "I could of enjoyed this if I wasn't in a hurry!" He rushed at Liam and suddenly twirled across the air like some sort of cyclone with blades, and Liam had summon out a shield of magic as the Twili repeatedly span into him.

What ensued would have been quite a sight to see. Though Liam could send waves of magic towards the Twili, his opponent dodged all of his attacks until he could finally run after Liam and swing his blades like a crazed fiend. Unfortunately, the monarch began to spew out sounds that were nowhere near human- he was already enjoying himself and was caught up in the fight.

Liam gasped as he backflipped away from an oncoming attack. A user of Twili magic was just as unknown as the magic itself, and if he wasn't careful, he might die, or be trapped within it. He could not let Zant get anywhere near the Twilight veil on the other side, or else he would lose, and yet they were still on the Bridge of Eldin, which was the worst place to battle, considering the deep chasm below it.

Suddenly Zant raised his arms to the sky, and Liam quickly dodged, just as a large stone hand slammed down from a portal. Zant repeatedly threw his arms up and down in front of him, and made the hand do the same. It gave Liam a chance to do his own unusual brand of 'fun' and summoned up a magic cube.

"Check this out!" Liam taunted as he leapt on the cube and as soon as the hand vanished, he walked it forward and made it fall over repeatedly until he reached the Twili king.

Zant's response was to merely shoot a ball of magic into Liam's face.

As Liam fell to the ground, Zant threw his arms out and began to shot more magic at Liam, and the young man was forced to summon out another wall to protect himself as he got up. _Ok, I guess I forgot he could do that._ Liam cursed himself.

Before he knew it, Zant then raised into the air and two greenish copies appeared on each side of Liam.

"Oh cr-"

Liam became caught within a strong surge of dark magic that shot pain throughout his body, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Pathetic." Zant sneered under the mask. "This is the best you can do? Protect yourself?"

He then smacked the boy so hard that he tumbled until he was close to the edge of the bridge.

"I try to be benevolent, but I'm afraid you pushed me too far." Zant walked to the boy. "For all I know, that man ripped the Triforce from a more worthy holder and I do have questions of my own. So as much as I want to kick you off this bridge, I'll try to offer you a chance to surrender, before you change my mind." Zant then sensed that another veil of Twilight disappeared during the fight. If this kept up, there would be serious trouble.

"I-" Liam panted. "am not going to give up!" He gave Zant a defiant look as he reached for his book. As soon as he grabbed it, he added "For the future of Hyrule and-"

Zant laughed as he held his blades out again. "I'm not one for a motivational speech, mid-battle, like most fools!"

Liam scrambled to get up, but in his haste, he lost his footing and fell off the bridge.

There were two things Liam could have done as he fell towards his death and watched Zant look at him- scream or think. He chose to think, and quickly summoned a platform under him. With a quick word, he sent the platform up and he quickly stood on it. Just as the platform became level with Zant, he jumped of it and returned to the bridge.

Only to get knocked into the ground by Zant's magic- _again._

Zant formed an orb of magic between his hands. "Well, I had fun, but now I grow bored of this game!" He told Liam. "So I'm afraid you'll have to go."

Liam closed his eyes for a moment: he had to get the man to listen to him somehow... and then he had an idea.

" _Born of light, born of night!"_ He quickly sang (and partially recited, since he wasn't that good of a singer). _"The wolf howls in the Twilight! Hidden from their eyes, in the dark, in the dark!"_

Zant froze and the insanity within him disappeared for a brief moment. "...How do you know that song?!" He demanded.

Liam quickly created his own orb of magic in his hand and mentally sent it into Zant's face. It made a perfect shot, and the king let out a great hollering noise as a result.

As soon as the king lost his balance and was temporarily blind, Liam was free to grab his book and prepared a quick spell. He sent wave after wave of attacks into Zant, and didn't stop- he could not let Zant free until the madness in him disappeared completely.

"And take this!" Liam yelled as he sent a strong wall of magic right into Zant, who let out a yelp as he was thrown back and knocked to the ground.

Liam held a cautious hand out as he approached Zant, who struggled to get up. "Ugh..." He moaned. "To think that some boy could beat me while the Twilight was under my command..." His mask came off and he glared at Liam.

"I know you're trying to trick me." Liam made the spell stronger and the magic in his hand formed and began to spark in warning for the dark being. "I know you played a similar card before, so don't try it." He wasn't sure if Zant was really bluffing, but it was better to stay safe.

Zant let out another odd sound and snickered. "And what do you know about-?"

"Listen to me!" Liam demanded. "We are trying to stop Ceiya and we need to get to the Gate of Souls to do so. In fact, I would say that we are on the same side."

A calm fell between the two of them.

"Listen to me." Liam repeated. "Please- take a moment to hear me out. Whatever Ceiya has done to you is going to ruin your kingdom as well as it's future. I know that it has already seen great horrors- do you want a repeat of what happened back then? Because it's already happening, and there's no divine power to back us up."

There- that was the safest of the wild cards he could have used.

Zant blinked at the boy before he slammed a fist into the ground and got up. "You have terrible communication skills, you know that?!" he snapped at Liam, who flinched. He then created an orb of magic and held it up to his face. "They are on our side- there's no need to fight them anymore."

He waved at the orb with his free hand and it disappeared. "And how can I believe you?" He demanded- the insanity was dying away, but he was still on guard. "What reason do we have to trust each other?"

"We came from a time where the song of your people became well known... in the realm of the light." Liam spoke. "That's only a small part of what we know of the Twilight Realm. Your kingdom will be in jeopardy if you don't help me find the Gate that links this time with ours."

At that moment, Liam saw something across the other side of the bridge. It was King Bulbin, and he was riding off on a beast while another one of it's followers rode behind him, with a large mirror ride to it's ride.

"That's the Mirror of Twilight!" Liam gasped. Zant quickly looked over and as soon as he saw the mirror, he vanished into Twilight-

-And reappeared right in front of the Bulbin. He was forced to bring his ride to a stop, along with the other one.

"Remember me?" Zant coldly spoke. "It turns out that I too am a king."

King Bulbin hesitated.

"Give me the mirror- now." Zant demanded. "And tell me why there are so many of you roaming my realm."

"Ceiya is summoning monsters across time!" Liam ran up to Zant. "It's possible that those bulbins are from my time."

"They are not our allies." King Bulbin spoke out. "They are not of bulbin blood."

That confused Liam, but he believed it best to think on it another time.

Zant stared at the mirror as Liam walked up towards it and held onto it as King Bulbin's follower loosened it's bonds. That object was the only thing that linked the realms together, and he thought it had been destroyed. Was that because of the full power of the Triforce?

He wished it hadn't been fixed- too much horror, too much pain, and too many memories came from that mirror. He knew it would have to be destroyed again.

-later-

Both Twili and Hylians reluctantly waited for their commanders to arrive.

Beliah and Ashei both came to a standstill in their fight, and while both gave each other some respect, they still shared a similar distrust.

"Look, I won fair and square, Lady Daphne." Koji spoke to Daphne, who gave him a death glare.

"I don't believe you." Daphne spoke as Draco (her snake) hissed at the boy. "You tried yourself into surrendering, and then you made yourself vanish, and took your weapon to my back within the span of five seconds."

"I'm a Sheikah- that's my specialty." Koji shrugged. "You can't blame me for how I was trained."

"You have a house full of insects?!" Ariadne exclaimed as Agitha carefully examined Demi, the shadow insect.

"Why yes!" She beamed. "They are so happy in my kingdom and we have such wondrous balls! I so wish you could join us!"

"We would love to!" Ariadne clapped her hands together in excitement.

Beliah then noticed Zant approaching, along with Liam. "Your Majesty!" She bowed before the king, as the others turned to see their leaders.

"So... all is well?" Koji asked Liam. "Can we find the Gate of Souls?"

"We can." Liam turned to Zant. "His Majesty has said that it is within his realm, in the throne room. Ceiya has invaded the Realm of Twilight, so we must go there."

"But isn't the only way into the realm destroyed?" Marsh asked. "The Mirror of Twilight-"

"-Is obviously fixed, unless something happened between dimensions." Beliah spoke out. "Thanks to that masked man, he used his magic to fix it, and forced us out."

"But I take it that if we use the butterfly, we can still find the entrance." Koji jumped in.

"No need." Zant summoned the mirror of Twilight out. "We can all return back home."

"Oh thank the gods!" Daphne sighed in relief as the other knights voiced their own happiness. "This world has to much variety for my liking!"

Koji was not amused- he knew she was talking about him.

"Here." Zant gave the mirror to Beliah. "Let us think of what to expect before we use it's powers. There is a man in the village that we can entrust it to when we go through it. It's the only option we have at this point, but eventually I have to destr-"

At that moment, Agitha then noticed Zant. "Ah!" She gave Demi back to Ariadne and quickly hurried to the king. "Sir Knight!" She called and the Twili turned to face her. "It's been so long!" She curtseyed to him. "I had no idea that you were a king! You never told me!"

Zant gave the child a smile- the first, genuine smile he were wore, one ever since coming back into this realm. "It is wonderful to see you again, Princess Agitha." He bowed. "At least some good came from being brought back here to the realm of light."

"All those bugs you gave me are so happy!" Agitha happily spoke. "If Eldin Provence hadn't been taken from the rest of Hyrule, or that there was such mischief about us, I could have shown you sometime."

Beliah chuckled, despite herself. "It looks like you made friends with the youth of this world- that's kind of surprising, really."

Liam carefully watched the exchange between the young girl and the monarch and noticed that Zant's smile turned melancholic. It pained Liam to think about whether or not Zant actually wanted to be back in Hyrule. Was he actually hoping to see certain familiar faces again? He glanced out to the Hyrule of this era and thought that to be so close to those you cared for, and yet unable to interact would be incredibly painful.

And yet, it was for the best.

"Uh, question!" A Hylian knight asked. "How was it that we survived the Twilight, and that you guys were able to survive the light? I thought you guys die without the Twilight?"

"That's what we assumed." Zant informed him. "And yet here we stand, unaffected."

"It's probably because time has completely stopped." Liam realized. "Not only were you pulled out of your timeline, but you are now completely immune to disease or illness. Until you return, every moment that was ripped from the timeline is stuck in limbo."

"Well, that's nice." Daphne laughed. "A little immortality sounds good."

"So Ceiya wants to guard the Gate of Souls." Ashei wondered. "Why would he, if he already has the Triforce in his-"

"Wait a moment." Zant noticed Ashei and smiled. "Lady Ashei of the resistance, correct?"

Ashei wondered why so many people in this area acted as if they knew her, before she realized what he meant. "I'm afraid you mean my great-great-grandmother. She did pass down the stories that involved you- she said that you turned into a giant and almost destroyed Hyrule Castle in breaking a barrier down. It made one heck of a bed-time story."

There was a round of laughter at this.

"Ah, that I remember." Zant looked a little embarrassed. "That's not a good story about me, but I'll let it slide on her behalf."

Liam, however, began to realize something because it made him think back to what Ceiya said. He was going back to the realm to do some recruiting...Ceiya had the complete Triforce, which was more powerful than any of them, and even Zant-

 _****!_ Liam thought when the pieces added up. How could he have been so stupid?!

"We got to go now!" Liam yelled at all of them. "Ceiya is about to do something that's _really_ bad!"

"Like what?" Zant asked. "What more would that bird-faced nuisance want in-"

"He's going to bring _her_ back." Liam flatly told him.

All the Twili knew exactly what he meant. Zant _especially_ knew who he meant.

-somewhere hidden from the eyes of citizens of the Twilight Realm-

Ceiya walked through the halls of a now isolated building within the boundaries of the Palace of Twilight. Here was where dangerous artifacts and objects were kept, but he was more interested in the large chamber, where a coffin like contraption of black and iridescent colors similar to a dragon fly's wings was propped up at the very end. The way it was designed was almost like a large crystal, which was highly ironic to Ceiya- how many beings throughout the timeline had been encased in crystal or ice?

Ceiya smirked as he reached the coffin: this had been far too easy. Sure, a few Twili were knocked out, and monsters were all over the city and palace, but they were nothing, compared to what he was about to unleash.

He held a hand up as he felt the spells over the coffin and quietly dispelled each one of them. He wasn't familiar with the technical parts of Twili magic, but his power was stronger then that magic- the power of time, darkness, and the Triforce were far superior.

As the last layer dispelled, the coffin's hidden runes lit up before it cracked and shattered to pieces to reveal a woman resting within it's confines.

Ceiya looked at her- she was still hovering within the boundaries of what was once her prison and she appeared to be in a deep slumber. He had to admit: as much as he desired the hero, he always found this woman to be quite beautiful, and he knew her so well from observing the timelines that he almost wouldn't have minded the red haired exotic beauty over the near timeless blonde messiah.

She was pretty cheeky, but he knew how to win her over.

He laughed as he felt the Triforce glow. "No power weaker than this spell?" He held his hand out again and concentrated as dark magic came out of it in waves and towards the woman. "I'm afraid someone cursed themselves which such a dare upon fate."

The victory that Zant and _she_ had accomplished was about to be undone. It was sad, but Ceiya didn't care.

The magic reached the woman and caressed her face as it invaded her mind, until it broke away all the barriers placed upon it. Seconds later, she took in a deep breath and collapsed to the ground in a not so graceful tumble.

The woman let out a curse as she stood back up and looked at Ceiya with questioning eyes. Unlike the other Twili, she had red pupils and looked more like a light dweller: they were the characteristics one descended from a prisoner of the Arbiter's Grounds.

"Your Majesty." Ceiya held his staff out to his side and bowed.

"Who are you?" She roughly, demanded, for one who had just awoken from a deep slumber. "Where is Zant?"

Ceiya stood back up. "It's been almost a year since you were defeated by him and his accomplice." He explained. "And though peace once falls on your kingdom, the people are still tense at the sound of your name."

"Ok, pretty boy." The woman scowled. "As much as I like it, explain what you want me to do in exchange for my freedom. Only someone incredibly ambitious or exceptionally stupid would wake me up before they would put me on trial."

"Oh, I'm afraid my goal would sound boring to you." Ceiya chose his words carefully. "What matters is what you get out of it. How would you like to take your revenge on Zant for what he did to you? I owe you that much, Midna. Let the world know why they should not forget the Twilight Princess for you shall regain the throne in due time."

Midna stared at him. She then cracked an amused grin and crossed her arms. "Ok bird man- tell me everything, and maybe I'll let you live."

-to be continued-

Outtake: This one's for you, PsycoFangirl.

Ceiya looked at her- she was still hovering within the boundaries of what was once her prison and she appeared to be in a deep slumber.

...Wait a minute.

"Who drew all over her face?" Ceiya was confused when he saw the drawings all over Midna's face. Apparently someone thought it would be funny to do exactly that when she was asleep.

"...Well..." Ceiya took out a marker. "Since I'm here, I might as well contribute. As childish as it is I can't pass up the partaking of a good prank."

 _Minutes later..._

"WHO DREW ALL OVER ME?!" Midna yelled out in blind fury, after repeatedly slamming her foot into Ceiya's face. "I'M GOING TO KILL THEM! I'M GOING TO BEAT THEM OVER THE HEAD WITH SOMETHING, AND THEN I'LL KILL THEM! IF IT WAS ZANT, I'M GOING TO (CENSORED due to the graphic nature of the threat.)!"

* * *

"SKULL KID!" Lexi happily beamed as the imp came into her house. "I haven't seen you since Twilight Twists!"

"Neither have I, Boomerang!" He giggled.

"I was supposed to be watching for spelling errors for the last few chapters, but then I was invited to a party!" Lexi laughed. "Man, you should have been there!"

Skull Kid was quiet, before he then spoke. "I warn you, Boomerang- that which was supposed to happen in the last story, but was cut due to overuse will occur in your near future. You will face a wrath that crosses over eons, yet will also bring great joy to others."

"...Huh?" Lexi was confused by this. "What- ah never mind."

"HolyMaiden24 also owes **Phoenix Champion** a great apology and says that she will try to make King Bulbin more active in the next chapter. She has recently been hit with the illness own as 'laziness.'"

"I need to pull up this reply to a review from the writer." Lexi cut in as she held up a sheet of paper for the reader.

 **ZtheSOI:** _Thank you. :)_

 _I might actually make a spoiler free version of this reply at the end of this chapter, in case anyone else wants to write, or to know how I write. Because it's that good of a question._

 _So do I plan the whole story or do I go by chapter to chapter?_

 _To answer your question, it's usually a bit of both. For example, Twilight Twists exact ending was planned for a long time (which was inspired by the finale of the Twilight Princess medley on the 25th anniversary cd), along with the characterization of Skull Kid, the friendship Zant began with Agitha, Zelda's backstory, and a few of the jokes._

 _It was the same with Skyward Swaps: as I went along, I knew exactly how it would end, along with the backstory of Ghirahim and Fi._

 _For this fan fic, I have some things I am eager to write out- including a big moment in the Lake Hylia chapter. Sometimes I get stuck, and I need to think out what happens once I get to the chapter- Especially the big fight scenes and battles which requires more effort. It makes good practice, but it's hard to enjoy it, unless something major happens. (That's why most of the bosses and dungeons get the short end of the stick in this series.) Some things are influenced by the logic (or lack of) within the games, or speculation._

 _So, my biggest ideas tend to come first, while I struggle with the stuff in-between._

 _Characterization is easy if you know the character's personality or think of how they might react in a situation, but it was tricky with Midna, because it took me awhile to see why she would do what she did in Twilight Twist, due to the role reversal. Speaking of which, that fight scene between her and Zelda practically wrote itself, thanks to the environment :)._

 _You should totally go for writing fan fiction. Just one word of advice- take your time to edit, because it will diminish the quality of your writing. (Unfortunately, I've missed a few errors quite often. :( ) And have fun. :)_

"The one who thinks she is a deity, but is as mortal as the readers says that she started the Ocarina of Time role reversal fanfic." Skull Kid added. "It is titled 'Times Trade.' if I remember correctly. There is a chance that the third chapter will be published, before the next one for this story, so be patient, my good friends."

Lexi beamed. "But..." She looked around. "Where's the writer?"

-?-

"I knew this chapter was coming, so I came prepared!" HolyMaiden24 yelled up into the sky with a triumphant, yet mad laugh. "I'm not getting killed off by you this time! I'm going to watch Sgt. Frog while someone else has to deal with you!" She added before ducking into some sort of underground bunker and shut the door behind her.


	8. Clash of Royals

**EDIT: there was a joke in here that I deemed no longer funny, and I had to cut it out. (It was related to the moon and I hated how I portrayed my fictional self in the joke.)**

 **MistIndigo** : Oh nice- I'm glad the twins have been getting some love. I'll tell PsycoFangirl what you said, she might like that.

 **AMaeJay** : *giggles* Those ham sandwiches will sustain me while I stay in my bunker. Why is a guillotine blade calling your name?

 **HeroAlexa249** : The funny thing is, with HW you'd think those from the past would have some strong reactions to the future and... certain things. (Like Ganondorf's failed execution back in TP *cough cough* yeah, _that_ bridge is going to be crossed in this fanfic, to the dismay of a select few.) Then again, the timeline was fixed in the end, so all was good.

And yes- I have gotten back into Sgt. Frog, and it is addicting! (My favorite characters so far are Giroro and Kululu/Kururu (?) and I'm a GiroNatsu shipper. I also really like Bechnokid of DeviantArt's gjinkas of the characters.)

 **patrick the almighty observer** : I'm dying to tell you about that interaction, but while this Zelda is the incarnation of TT Zelda I don't think she is _the_ direct descendant of TT Zelda. I want to elaborate on what I mean, but it will ruin what will happen when everyone gets back together. (Zant will find out, along with the readers.)

But in all serious, the 'reunion' is most likely going to be bittersweet.

 **PsycoFangir** l: I'm glad you liked it- I knew what the outtake for the chapter would be, the moment you doodled on her face. Anyway, the door thing could be taken as either a fluke, or a moment that actually happened- or will happen? The joke chapters are usually just for stupid humor, and the characters do not remember them happening within the actual story. (So, technically, the meeting in chapter 7 of Skyward Swaps did happen, but neither party remembers it, despite what was said.) Also, MistIndigo says that she too has dry erase markers and sharpies at the ready and is running off with both of them.

 **Phoenix Champion** :... I owe you an apology. You'll see what I mean in a bit. Also, it appears that AMaeJay threw you some ham. *Om nom noms/ bites the tree for no apparent reason.*

Anyway: yeah, I kind of had the idea of Ariadne and Agitha becoming friends planned for a really long time, since it was inevitable.

So I tried to think of where King Bulbin could fit into this chapter... and I couldn't. I couldn't think of a reason to fit him here, so I owe people a bunch of apologies :(

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Clash of Royals.**

The knights could barely stay in the basement under the sanctuary, and yet they were all cramped together in one space.

"Were stuck with a bunch of sweat drenched men." One of the female Hylian knights giggled to Ashei, who chose not to respond to that.

Two of the Twili knights had placed the mirror in one corner of the room, and everyone watched in amazement as a portal of light formed across the room.

"And now, we shall return to the Twilight Realm." Zant then created an orb of magic and handed it to the shaman. "This contains my magic- use it to destroy the Mirror, so nothing can come back out."

"I will." Renado assured the king as Luda stood by his side. Zant nodded in respect and he and Liam lead the others through the portal, while the shaman watched their numbers dwindle. It wasn't until the last one went through, that the portal finally vanished and the light in the mirror died.

"Well, that was nice of him."

Renado and Luda turned in alarm, just as a burst of magic hit them without warning. The magic was so great, that they collapsed and were rendered unconscious, while the Black Sorcerer walked up to Renado.

Ceiya chuckled as he picked up the orb of magic and crushed it. "Sorry, but I still have use for this mirror." He told them as he turned to the object in question.

-Twilight Realm-

Liam whistled in amazement upon passing through the Mirror of Twilight. "I have to admit, this realm is pretty impressive." He told Zant as he gazed upon the Twilight Realm in it's full glory. If it wasn't for the fact that there were monsters already running rampant at the Palace, with only the guards up against them, then Liam would have found time to truly take in the beauty.

"I can't believe this place has been hidden away from us!" Koji agreed as the rest of the knights entered through the portal. "I don't think the Hero of Twilight's accounts did this place any justice!"

"There is a reason we kept to ourselves." Daphne told the knight. "We should have died, and you should be a spirit by now."

"Uh, stupid question." Marsh asked Liam as he jabbed a thumb behind him. "Why is the bug kid with us?"

Liam looked to see that Agitha had somehow joined them and was still in a happy bug related conversation with Ariadne.

"Well, it's too late now." Liam looked back to Zant with a shrug. "Tell us what to do."

"Set up a base and have a division advance to the east." The king responded. "A few of my men and I will search the interior of the palace, while everyone else takes care of the outside."

"I'll protect the base." Ashei spoke. "You lot know this place better than we do, and I can do more with defense than with speed."

"That would be much appreciated." Zant thanked her.

-stage 8-

As Midna watched the battle unfold from a safe distance, Ceiya appeared from behind, with a circular object in his hands.

"I come with a gift." He held it up as Midna turned to him. "It's the Mirror of Twilight- don't ask how I brought it into this realm, because the process gave me a headache."

Midna smirked as she took it. "It's too small to be the same thing."

"Magic." Ceiya merely responded before vanishing.

Midna turned back to watch the fight. Already, the Hyrulean knights were spreading across the east, and some of them already infiltrated the eastern wing. Perhaps she could begin to mess with their heads for a bit.

-outside-

Both eastern and western bridges suddenly crumbled and were destroyed by Zant's forces.

"Really?!" Daphne snapped. "We have to go through altering the palace again?!" She grabbed Koji's arm as soon as he was done with a few monsters. "Come with me!" She made them disintegrate and reappear on the other side of one of the bridges.

"That was a one time thing!" She told him as she ran off. "Next time, I won't be generous!"

"How is she a Royal Aid again?" Koji wondered before rushing elsewhere.

"Just focus on capturing the keep!" Zant's voice rang out onto the field. (Most likely from the spell he used earlier.)

"So just keep fighting?" Agitha wondered from the allied base. "Ok! Chaaarge!" She ran out with her parasol out and ready.

As soon as Liam was finished taking over a keep, he turned to the door to the palace- the thing was still shut. "You guys stay here, just in case!" Liam told the small number of knights as he ran out.

He came out to the bridge- or what was left of it. Oddly enough, he saw a certain point on the bridge that would be perfect for hoisting himself up, and he actually had the right contraption for it.

"Hookshot, do your thing." He took the blue contraption and held onto his book as his took aim. The Hookshot made it's mark and pulled him right up to the ledge and all that was left was some upper body strength to hoist himself back up.

"The Twili have it easy!" He panted- as much as he wanted to use his magic, he knew he needed to conserve it wisely. "They can just teleport around the place!" He then ran to the west, to see what he can do.

As for Zant, he could not get right into the throne room- some sort of powerful magic was sealing it off. He was forced to regroup with Beliah, who waited in the west with a small number of guards and her hair 'spears' already skewering through a few monsters before they went into a stationary position.

"No luck?" She asked, just as something caught her eye. "Is that an Argorock?!" She asked and Zant turned to see a familiar looking creature heading their way. Memories of a city up in the sky and a certain young woman came to mind, before he smirked. "This really takes me back." He turned to Beliah. "Get it's backside."

"But what about pulling it down some-" Beliah cursed mid sentence as the Argorock entered their keep and immediately started spewing out balls of fire that headed towards their base.

"Look out, Lady Ashei!" A knight pulled Ashei to the side as fast as she could, just before they were hit.

"Where is it coming from?!" Ashei demanded as the other knights began to leave the base for their safety. Still, she prepared herself to use the ball and chain, just in case the enemy took advantage and charge towards their base.

Liam, upon seeing the dragon, searched for Zant as he realized that his magic could be of use.

"I have an idea!" Liam told Zant as he raced to the keep. He pulled out his hookshot "Do you know any spells to boost abilities?"

Zant nodded, and a ring of magic appeared underneath the two of them. Liam set the hookshot down, and watched in fascination as the contraption turned purple, before larger versions of it shot out of the circle and went towards Argorock. The first one grabbed onto it, and the others wrapped themselves around the creature, but it folded it's wings in, before they burst open and broke the chains as it shot to the sky.

"Ok, that was good for now!" Liam grimaced as the circle vanished and he picked the hookshot up. "I'll go rejoin the others in the east!" He ran off.

"So much for bringing it down." Beliah shook her head.

"Patience." Zant cautioned. "We still have other matters to attend." He then vanished into Twilight particles.

-inside-

"Get the enemy commanders." Midna spoke into the orb. "The little girl, the Royal Aids, the Hyrulean Captain, the blue boy, my knock-off- get them all."

-meanwhile-

"Oh good, the doors finally opened!" A knight cheered as the doors to the interior of the palace opened.

"There might be more monsters!" A Twili knight cautioned as he readied his mace. "Get ready!"

As if on cue, hordes of monsters came spilling into their room. Just then, Ariadne appeared beside Agitha.

"Looks like you could use my help!" She grinned as she readied her shield.

"I'll do my best to help too!" Agitha responded back as she held her parasol out.

"More monsters!" Daphne grinned as she readied her whip as monsters same pouring out of the front entrance. She charged ahead and smacked her whip out at them before grabbing one beast by it's neck and sent it hurtling into it's companions.

"Need help?!" Koji rushed to the girl's aid.

"I don't need it!"

Koji rolled his eyes and went ahead.

"Ah!" Agitha shrieked as a monster suddenly grabbed her and hoisted her over it's shoulder. "Unhand me, you fiend!"

Ariadne turned to see the beast begin to lumber away with her new friend, and she quickly ran over and leapt onto him- she grabbed it's collar and as it let out a cry in protest and tried to shake her off, she took the shield and swung it into it's face as hard as she could before flipping it on it's spiked end, and delivered a fatal blow to it's face.

"Just like the leg of a grasshopper!" Ariadne grinned at Agitha as the beast exploded and both girls fell to the ground.

"Oh no you don't!" Koji sliced through three monsters, before they could touch Daphne.

"I said I have this!" She yelled at him.

"Well forgive me for being helpful, Lady Daphne!"

"Will you just drop that title already?!"

Throughout the grounds, everyone was caught up in trying to fend of the beasts, and they had no idea that Argorock was preparing to strike again. Already the beast was flying back out.

"Again?!" Liam yelled as Argorock approached a square that was near the base and began to attack. He rushed towards that square and found that Zant was already waiting for him.

"Yes, I saw it too." Zant already set up the magic circle. "Bring it out again."

And so, for the second time in a row, they tried to bring the beast down, but it managed to escape.

-Inside-

"This is going to get boring, isn't it?" Midna sighed as the battle continued on. "I want something good to start happening." It wasn't fun when the Twili actually helped the Hylians in crossing over the gaps in the bridge. It was tempting to go out- in fact, she decided it was better to get some action in a few minutes than just observe. She slept for a year, and she really needed to exercise the magic of her birthright.

-meanwhile-

Meanwhile, Ashei took a moment to rest her arms as her men stayed on guard for other monsters. "We need to close that gate as soon as possible." She panted as she glanced to the palace.

Nearly five minutes later, and still no progress. Sure, some of the enemy captains were killed off, but this wasn't much help when more just kept pouring out from the throne room and spread across the palace grounds, like some sort of disease.

"Just when you think you got them all, more appear." Liam panted as he avoided a re-dead's fog. Deep in his heart, he worried that too many monsters had already entered his time, and he was worried that Midna would appear at any moment. She was powerful in her own right, and the only ones who could be her equal were either missing or would want to kill her.

Just when things couldn't get any worse, Argorock reappeared at the center to the entrance of the palace.

"Again?!" Daphne threw her hands up. "Why?!"

"We drive him off and he comes right back. He's just as stubborn as some flies I know!" Agitha pouted.

Just then, Agitha's butterfly flew out of her basket and drew near her ear. "Hmm?" Agitha wondered. "Make a wish for aid... from the Great Fairy?" SHe grinned. "I shall try!" She closed her eyes and prayed as everyone around her fought or ran for their lives.

"Agitha, now isn't the time to freeze up!" Liam ran to the girl- both of them were too close to the dragon, and he was really afraid for her. He grabbed her shoulder, but she remained still. "Agitha, list-"

"Did I hear a sweet young child ask for my aid?!"

Liam turned in confusion to see the Great Fairy hovering in mid-air. "G-Great Fairy?!" He stuttered upon seeing the large bodied pink haired woman.

"Yay!" Agitha beamed when she saw the being and clapped her hands. "Mister Butterfly told me I should pray for your aid!"

"And my voice reached me, sweet Princess!" The Great Fairy chuckled. "A good thing too: I just helped another group get off a floating island not that long ago!" She then threw her hands out and the circle reappeared.

"We already tried that!" Liam protested as the hooks shot out.

For the third time, the hooks tried and failed to catch Argorock, but just as they fell, another one shot out, and rushed past the dragon. It went into the sky and it tightened when it caught something, which turned purple in the dark red clouds.

Liam watched in curiosity as the light faded, and the clouds parted- only to almost wet himself when he saw an angry face merge forth. As it drew closer, it took on a familiar looking circular rock, with evil eyes set in dark holes, a huge nose, and nasty looking teeth.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Liam yelled at the Great Fairy as the Moon that was once summoned up by a dark entity from Termina in the era of the Hero of Time was pulled down and headed towards the Argorock.

But most importantly, the palace of Twilight.

"WHAT IN DIN'S NAME IS THAT THING?!" Daphne gapped at the Moon. She wasn't the only one- everyone stared up in horror at the abomination in the sky.

"Magnificent." Zant smiled underneath the mask. Unlike the others, he found himself admiring the horrific entity that was approaching them from above.

The Argorock had no clue what was upon it, and the nose of the Moon smacked into it's back as it started to head down to the palace. Just when it seemed like something bad was going to happen (such as a direct collision into the palace) the moon turned into fairies that floated away and the dragon collapsed in a heap onto the ground.

"Tootles!" The Great Fairy smiled and waved her fingers at the stunned Liam and Agitha, before she disappeared.

"Thank you, Great Fairy!" Agitha curtseyed.

Thankfully, Liam recovered in time to have the sense to go after the dragon, whose altitude was reduced to the point that it wouldn't escape. In fact, many were rushing to his aid, despite the fact that he knew that his only greatest advantage would come from the hookshot. Everyone was so occupied, that they neglected to consider the commander of the monsters, or that she just then came out of the palace.

"Thank the gods." Beliah sighed before turning around- only to come face to face with Midna. The former monarch gave the Twili sorceress a smug grin as she held the Mirror of Twilight at her side.

"Hello, Beliah." Midna greeted. "I heard you managed to get into the court."

"M...Midna." Beliah's eyes narrowed as an anger rose inside her.

""What- no happy hello for me?" Midna asked. "I thought you were an old friend of mine."

"My sister was turned into a shadow beast!" Beliah snarled as her hair regained it's six spear form. "She was slaughtered like an animal in the realm of light, because of you!"

The spears shot out at Midna, who quickly floated up into the air and dodged them. Beliah turned around and she tried to strike, but once again, Midna dodged. Furious, the young woman thew her hands out, and the 'spears' turned into claws that reached out to Midna.

Midna merely countered by having her own hair shoot out and grab Beliah's neck. It was enough to make Beliah's hair droop and retreat to it's normal length, as Midna's third hand held the young woman up into the hair.

"Stupid girl." Midna sighed and shook her head. "As interesting as your style is, I know how to use that kind of magic better than you do- my lineage _specializes_ in it." She then looked up at Beliah as she was steadily rising up in the air, while struggling to breath and hold onto the third hand to keep from having her neck broken.

"So- what's the story?" Midna asked. "Are you Zant's new pet or something?"

"Do you even-" Beliah grunted "-give a flying-"

"Put her down."

Midna turned her head to see Zant standing right before her. He had seen Midna, and he didn't want to believe it- despite how everything inside him was screaming, he was doing all he could to stay calm and stoic.

"Zant." Midna cooly greeted as her hair still held Beliah up and slowly crushed the other's throat while she let out weak cry. "It's nice to see you're going well- peachy even. It looks like these people actually put up with you- I was even asking this girl if she's your-"

"Put Lady Beliah down, _now_." Zant calmly told Midna.

In response, Midna tossed Beliah away and the girl crashed into a wall.

"So, you have an army from Hyrule at your disposal in addition to the usual faces." Midna turned to Zant as she crossed her arms. "Definitely not the cowards we saw- these ones are actually pretty devoted. Though I noticed someone missing... where's your pet?"

"That's neither here nor there." Zant's voice slightly raised in pitch, but he kept still.

"From what I heard, you abandoned her- let her behind, like trash." Midna continued.

"I am warning you!" His voice raised a little higher and he was visibly twitching. "Leave her out of this!"

"What did she look like again?" Midna wondered as she raised an eyebrow at Zant. "Like some sort of 'holier than thou' beauty? Or was it like-"

Before Zant's eyes, the Twilight Princess shifted into a different form- one that looked all too painfully familiar, from the blue-purple eyes, to the sword, to even the exact attire.

"Was I not good or obedient enough for you?" A perfect mirror image of Zelda, the Hero of Twilight mockingly asked Zant with an over the top pout. "But I was such a good little wolf!" She whined.

"THAT'S IT!" an enraged Zant threw his weapons out and charged at Midna, who grinned as she quickly changed back to her true form.

"Talk about touchy!" Midna spat as she transported them from their position.

-The throne room-

"So you abandoned the little mutt!" Midna sent a stone hand at Zant, who quickly dodged. "How did she react? How did you break it to her?"

Zant let out a shriek as he rushed at Midna and repeatedly swung his blades at her. Midna merely laughed and threw a stone hand into him.

"From what I heard, you didn't even tell her!" Midna yelled as Zant quickly spun back into position. In retaliation, Zant shot Midna in the face with a burst of magic and charged at her when she was stunned, but she quickly took them to another location.

"Man, does this take me back!" Midna summoned up a cannon and leapt onto it. "Remember that time we went all across those locations and fought while you hid in her shadow?!"

"Get down here NOW!" Zant yelled up at her.

"And then you pulled that trick at the last minute, just before I could have killed her!" Midna yelled back as the cannon shot out light. Zant vanished, just before it could hit him, and he appeared on top of the cannon with Midna. He struck her and she fell to the ground.

"You're too easy to manipulate!" He spat. "I knew which buttons to press, just as much as you do!"

"The funny thing was, was that the royal brat was alive all along." Midna wheezed as she struggled to get up. "I would have gotten that part of the Triforce in the end, but man- talk about tragic!" She giggled before she angrily snapped. "WHY DID YOU HAVE TO RUIN IT?!"

Zant leapt off the cannon- scimitars poised to skewer the Twilight Princess.

Quickly, Midna made them appear in another location and leapt out of the way.

"Do you have any idea how much I want to kill you?!" Zant snarled as he took his weapons out of the ground.

"Uh- yeah!" Midna sarcastically shot. "You made that pretty obvious!"

Meanwhile, a group of knights were close by and they watched as the two Twilis furiously fought against each other. Midna continually waved her hand and made a stone hand swing out at Zant, while the later would charge to strike with his blades- only for the other to summon a spear out to block each attack.

"See, _that's_ what I'm talking about!" Reg excitedly told Marsh, who was trying to fight off a re-dead. "That woman is _my_ idea of a woman!" He looked back at Midna and admired her beauty, despite the circumstances.

"Quit gawking and help me out!" Marsh frantically yelled as he narrowly avoided the re-dead's poison, before he could rush back in and swing his mace. Fortunately for him, Midna and Zant teleported away to a new location.

Around that time, Liam delivered the finishing blow to Argorock. Seconds later, Midna and Zant appeared nearby, and the former swung a bridge into the later, who fell across the grounds.

In turn, Zant summoned up a totem and furiously shot at the young woman, but she laughed and used the stone hand to knock it down and make the king fall off. As dangerous as Zant was, he was nothing more than a mindless beast to Midna, now that he was riled up.

"You should have stayed back on the sidelines!" She taunted him.

"Zant!" Liam finally noticed the fight and rushed to his aid.

"STAY BACK, BOY!" The Twili barked as he held a blade out at the White Sorcerer. "THIS IS MY FIGHT!"

"Let's take this somewhere private." Midna agreed as she snapped her fingers and sent them back to the throne room.

Liam repeatedly cursed, and went to look for a Twili who could take him to the duo.

-The throne room-

Midna quickly summoned a dark field and trapped Zant in it, before he could make a move.

"Do you know how lame it is to miss out a whole year?!" Midna slowly approached her opponent, who was frozen to the spot and was struggling to get out. She summoned out her spear and clenched it tightly. "I hate to say it, but I owe Bird-Face for getting me out of that spell."

"Is this why you're fighting me?" Zant spat. "Revenge? Or is it to get back your throne?"

Midna swung her spear into Zant- it wasn't a fatal blow, but it was enough to knock some wind out of him.

"Why can't you die?!" She angrily demanded. "It's like no matter how much I try, you still get back up!"

Zant giggled, despite himself- an idea came to mind and he quickly formed a spell to break free.

"ANSWER ME!"

Without warning, Zant suddenly shot off the ground and began to spin at Midna like a dangerous cyclone. She had no time to react, and she repeatedly hit several times, as he continued to spin on and on- all the while, he laughed as he enjoyed himself. How he missed out on such fun!

He finally stopped and took a moment to regain his balance as the world around him still shifted and Midna was lying on the ground.

Midna spat out some blood onto the ground as she struggled to get up. She summoned the Mirror of Twilight, and almost summoned something out of it, when she felt a wave of fatigue hit her. To her annoyance, she realized that she had been so out of touch with her magic, that it was draining her faster than it should have. She now had a new reason to be angry at Zant, but she realized that the battle was not going to be in her favor anytime soon.

"I once showed you mercy." Zant growled at her as the world around him slowly came to a halt. "I tried to be good. For the sake of all I went through the last time, I tried to listen to the people. To be open and willing to accept what was out of my control."

"And yet, you still can't keep it together." Midna laughed as her body trembled and she backed away from him. She glanced back and noticed the Gate of Souls "The world of light isn't done with us just yet." she told him. "No matter what, it's still corrupting us and giving us unnecessary pain."

"Tell me Zant." She turned to him. "It's been a year, hasn't it? Have they forgiven me yet? Look me in the eye and say that I can have my life, if not their love once again."

Zant relaxed, but his helmet did not go off.

"Tell me!" Midna's voice pierced the silence, over the sound of the Gate. "Can I even regain their trust?!"

"...They haven't forgiven us for enslaving or killing their families and friends." Zant quietly admitted. "Not all of them trust me as a ruler."

For one moment, Midna was genuinely upset, even if she didn't show it.

Midna held her gaze, "I... I see." She frowned before turning to the Gate of Souls. "Then... I guess there's no place for me here, is there."

"What do you mean?" Zant asked her. "Midna-"

"I refuse to be executed!" Midna snapped at him. "And I refuse to be put to sleep again!" She added as she turned into black particles.

"MIDNA!" Zant yelled, but it was too late- just as Liam entered the throne room, Midna had completely changed into particles and they went through the Gate of Souls.

"...You idiot." Zant quietly snarled at her as Liam approached the gate.

"This isn't good." Liam was unhappy about this development. "If that portal leads to our world, there's no telling where Midna went."

"Can you find her?" Zant asked.

Liam shook his head. "It's impossible- she could be anywhere now. At least let me seal off the Gate of Souls."

When Zant didn't respond, Liam held his hand out and a burst of magic touched the Gate, when then vanished and revealed the throne that hid behind it.

"If it's any consonance, she's in a place where she can't do any harm, but only I know where that location is."

Liam and Zant turned to see Ceiya slowly walk towards them.

"Why are you interfering with my era?" Zant demanded as his anger went back to the strange man in the mask. "Why can't you leave us be?"

"It wasn't my choice that your throne would serve as the holding place for a fraction of great evil." Ceiya shook his head. "What a shame- Midna was too spunky to control. Maybe I should have cursed her- or maybe you would have made a better pawn."

"I am not a pawn!" Zant snarled.

Ceiya suddenly snickered and slapped a hand to his masked face.

"Why are you laughing?!"

"Sorry!" He stopped. "It's just- when you can see alternate versions of timelines, your bound to find a few things ironic or amusing. No offense."

"But do tell me-" Ceiya asked. "Were you hoping to see your precious companion again? She's already tied herself to a new master- honestly I can't blame her, since you _are_ just a wild beast that could explode at any moment."

"You have no right to compare her to a common animal." Zant felt the madness overtaking him. "And you know _nothing_ about me!"

"Well, she might as well be!" Ceiya retorted. "After all, you kept calling her 'Lady Wolf' didn't you?!"

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY THAT TITLE!" Zant shrieked as he suddenly hopped up and down, like an angry child.

"Oh goddesses." Ceiya sighed and shook his head. "How did you become the ruler of this domain again?"

Zant let out a noise akin to an enraged, raspy voiced cat before suddenly vanishing into particles.

Ceiya hummed. "Such a drama queen." He looked to an uncomfortable Liam. "I guess he ran off to-"

Without any warning, Zant reappeared high above Ceiya, and Liam had the front row seat to watch as the Twili belly flopped right onto Ceyia, who crashed to the ground upon impact.

"YOU-!" Zant grabbed Ceiya's headdress and then repeatedly bashed his head into the ground with each word of his next sentence. "GET! OUT! OF! MY! KINGDOM! NOW!"

He smashed Ceiya's face into the ground one more time before getting off him and casually walked away.

As for the sorcerer, his mask was now destroyed and as he staggered up off the ground and looked up, Zant and Liam could see his face:

With the exception of his white hair, tanned skin, and a few markings under his eyes, he bore Liam's exact features, as if he were Liam himself. And his violet eyes were narrowed in anger as he snarled at the both of them.

This surprised Zant, as he looked between the two of them and he even took his helmet off to get a better look.

With an annoyed growl, Ceiya turned around and vanished into purple and black fire that vanished seconds later.

"Could you care to explain why he looks exactly like you?" Zant turned a suspicious eye to Liam, who looked uncomfortable.

"...The truth is-" He began. " Ceiya and I were once... the same person."

-later-

Liam gave Zant an explanation to what was going on in his time period, but he kept certain important details out.

"All this for a girl?" Zant shook his head in disappointment. "That is a terribly underwhelming reason for this entire mess."

"So, if I can stop Ceiya, we can possibly find Midna and send her back." Liam told him. "Din knows what could happen if she's running free." He frowned as he thought of another reason why she would be interested in Ceiya, that wouldn't be immediately obvious to the Twili King.

"Zant." Liam finally asked the question he tried to avoid. "Did- did you hope to see Zelda again?"

Zant was quiet for a moment.

"It would have been nice." He finally admitted. "But I destroyed that mirror for a reason. This was what I feared, and it still happened. Maybe I shouldn't have done it." He let out a humorless chuckle before he gazed out at the city of Twilight.

Throughout the city and the palace, peace was finally returning as the citizens finally returned to the streets, and the victors could finally relax.

"Uh- hey." Daphne sat beside Koji, who had a drawing pad and was drawing out the city. "I owe you an apology."

"It's ok." The Sheikah smiled. "A lot has happened, so I understand why you were on edge."

"Midna once made me and my sister into mindless servants. I didn't want to go through that again." Daphne closed her eyes and stroked Draco as she recalled the memory. "She fused us with our weapons and our pets- can you imagine how sick that is?"

Koji stared at her in shock. "That is terrible." He agreed.

Daphne then noticed what Koji was doing. "That- that's pretty good." She confessed.

"I want to draw out what I see, before leaving." Koji told her. "There aren't any pictures of this world or it's inhabitants, and I want to provide something for my era, when this is all over." He chuckled as he thought of how upset Bethany would be for not being able to take pictures of this era.

 _I guess he's alright. He's even kind of cute._ Daphne thought to herself. _A little too polite at times, but cute._

"Demi seems to like you quite a lot." Ariadne smiled as Agitha held the shadow insect in her hands.

"It's certainly nice to meet her." Agitha smiled as the butterfly from earlier landed on her shoulder. "She seems to be happy and well taken care of.

"You know, I think Zant told me about you." Ariadne spoke. "He held you in a good regard- I'm glad we got to meet each other."

Beliah walked to Ashei, who stared out to the sky. "I can't believe this world was hidden from us, let alone that we are in this era." Ashei shook her head. "It feels like I shouldn't be here, and yet I feel at home." She glanced to the Twili. "Are you alright?"

"I'll live." Beliah weakly replied. "Throat's crushed a bit, but I'll live."

Ashei nodded and glanced around: Twili and Hylians were conversing with each other, and each one shared their own customs and stories. They all seemed to get along, despite how much she knew that the Twili should resent them: if things had been differently, could they all have co-existed peacefully in one realm?

Such musings didn't escape Zant or Liam.

"I have to admit, those who were sent into our realm were overtaken by the beauty of yours." Zant told Liam. "To be so used to one sort of life, only to be thrown into a new one is a little frightening. I didn't think I would ever find anything good in this world, until I was able to calm down and observe." He than completely turned to the young man. "...I have to join you in you cause."

"What?" Liam was surprised. "But I thought you didn't want to interfere with our realm."

"I need to bring Midna back- unfortunately. There's also a chance that Agitha could be trapped in this realm, if all goes wrong: she will turn into a spirit, if time unfreezes. She has to come with me, in case that happens."

"Is that true?" Agitha then appeared with Ariadne. Agitha heard of the stories of this realm from her friend Zelda, and she was afraid of that possibility- especially if all her beloved subjects in her kingdom were trapped in her house, without any means of escape.

"If that is the case, then I shall join you." Agitha told Zant. "I don't know how much my subjects and I will be of use to you, but I shall stay by your side, if necessary. After all, you are a dear friend of mine."

Liam thought over what Zant said. He could see his point of view, but he knew that Zant would be in for the shock of his life if he came back with him. That and that he worried that Zant would notice something that Liam didn't tell the others, since he would figure it out right away, and it was the last thing Liam wanted for the person involved.

But he needed Midna out of that time period- immediately.

"I don't see the harm." Liam spoke to both princess and king. "But I have to warn you: some of the people in my era will look familiar to you, like Ashei did. Despite appearances, they aren't those exact people."

"It doesn't matter." Zant shook his head. "My concern isn't with your men."

 _Oh, it will be._ Liam thought to himself.

-Outtake special-

-How to slack off in the Twilight Realm -

And so, everyone slacked off- after all, what was the rush?

Most of the older warriors hit the bar. This exchange happened.

"So-" Liam took a swig of his drink and glanced at Zant. "Did... did you have a thing for her?"

"What do you mean?" Zant asked.

"You know- did you have any romantic feelings towards the hero?"

"I don't know where you got that idea, but I can assure you that I only saw her as a trusted companion, and nothing else."

"Oh..." Liam hummed. "What about that one girl... Beliah?"

Zant gave the young man a look that was hard to read. "I admire her ambition and her talent, but-" He hesitated as he realized where this was going and stiffly told Liam. "My interests in romantic affairs are of no concern to you. I am not some mere school girl whose eager to spill out her heart's secrets."

"Most of the knights are suitable, but a bunch of them are idiots." Ashei told Beliah "Thankfully, my ancestor became a commander to the knights of Hyrule and took care of that."

"We tend to be a bit too relaxed, but thankfully attacks don't happen often." Beliah replied.

-later-

"And then- and then they kicked me out!" Liam hiccuped after his third drink. "I looked like Ceiya and I'm sort of him, but they don't see me as a son or a friend, so they kicked me out!"

"Charming." Zant sarcastically told him as he watched the young sorcerer get increasingly drunk.

"NOBODY!" Liam threw his hands out. "Not my family, not Aimee, or Dario! Not Bex, not Freize, not Ichigo-" He hiccuped. "-Not even Veran, even though I can't stand the-" He hiccuped again and then yelled "WHYYYYYYYYYIIIIIIIIEEE?!"

"This is why I don't drink." Zant turned to Beliah, Ashei, and the others. "My sanity is already in question to begin with."

"Light dwellers really are a bunch of light weights, aren't they?" Beliah snickered.

"Huh." Zant realized something and chuckled. "I think I see what you did there."

* * *

I'm sorry if this chapter was a tad underwhelming- I can't stand this level and I want to get back to Shadow (and Impa.). Midna will- of course- return sometime later on.

Zant has absolutely no weak spot and high health in Adventure Mode, while Midna is another character I don't like to use, but have to in some cases anyway. Sometimes, I ask why they made certain characters hard to KO in this game.

Fun fact: Ceiya is a change upon 'Cia' using the japanese name of 'Seiya.' I was going to go with 'Cain,' but it didn't have the right flow- not to mention how painfully obvious that choice would have been to some of you who know the story of the biblical character.

Anyway, if you guys want any of the Twili OCs to join Zant, I'm open to it. It depends on how well you guys liked them.

Well, we finally get to the OoT pathway, next chapter. I am aiming to finish Ruto's introductory chapter from Time's Trade before I get there, since this fan fic doesn't require the entire completion of TT.


	9. Of rolling rocks and Gorons

**HeroAlexa249:** I see Zant as the type of person who is fascinated by the disturbing. Anyway, the 'charge' part was actually in the game, if I remember correctly, and Midna's shapeshifting abilities were just begging to be used to mock Zant, after she did the same thing to TT Zelda. I can see the parallels, but I think Midna was able to use the past a little more effectively than Fi did, since she got the exact results she wanted.

It's funny, but out of all the platoon, I think Dororo and Giroro have the good qualities for an ideal boyfriend. (Speaking of which, have you ever seen the abridged series by the Midnight Frogs on youtube?)

 **AMaeJay** : Zant says he appreciates your love, even if he was just imagining it :) so far, he's been single in this AU, so I guess he's up for grabs. As for Shadow's relation to Link- one more chapter to go. Just bear with me for a little longer and you'll find out how it all ties together.

 **PsycoFangirl** : Ceiya has knowledge of alternate timelines and what-ifs thanks to his previous position as Guardian of Time. He has little knowledge of alternate versions of himself or the canon version of HW, but he is aware of the canon timeline. Most of the names Liam rambled off were made up, but the only canon name mentioned is Veran.

 **MistIndigo** : Sadly, we still have one chapter to go before the temple (there's a big moment I'm wanting to write out, but it has to wait a little longer.) It would be interesting to include the twins- I'm debating about Beliah, because I like her potential.

 **Phoenix Champion** : *stabs a moblin repeatedly* I wish they made characters easier to defeat in this game. It's like they forgot they are supposed to have a weakpoint thingie-ma-jig. Stuff like that is why I barely bother to go for a %100 completion in games. I also prefer Twili Midna over regular Midna... did I say that already? *Stabs Moblin in the head.*

* * *

I am sorry, but this chapter gave me some hell. It was hard to do, and I had to go through the level to make sure it would be accurate for what could happen. Most of what I had planned for this chapter changed because I forgot that Darunia was brainwashed, instead of just being angry.

Those who have been reading Time's Trade have finally met Ruto and Darunia. Their incarnations haven't changed too much, but you can go and read their chapters now, if you'd like. However, this means that the flashback I promised was changed, so we sadly don't get to see them interact with OoT Zelda.

Also, since the fairy in this chapter isn't identified as 'Navi' outside of the US region, it will not be addressed with her name, out of respect to other regions. If you were hoping Ivan would appear, he's not showing up (though I'm pleased as to how well liked he is by those who are reading Time's Trade.)

* * *

Chapter 9: Of rolling rocks and Gorons.

 _-Many years ago-_

 _It was to be the final stand against Ganondorf._

 _Hylians, Gorons, Zoras, Sheikah, and other races were gathered at the village of Kakariko. In one house, the many captains and commanders were about to discuss strategies._

 _At the head of the table, next to a mighty Sheikah warrior was a young boy who carried a sword at his back, while a small dragon was wrapped around his leg and looked up at it's friend. The boy looked down at the dragon and gave him an appreciative smile. "Thanks, Volvagia." He whispered, and the dragon happily chirped up at him in reply._

" _Thank you for finally getting my message." The boy spoke as he raised his head: he was not used to speaking to so many people, and yet the seriousness of the situation granted him some much needed courage. "If we all work as one, we can turn this in our favor." He glanced to the large Goron to his left. "One man is seeking all of our lands, but together, we can be greater than him."_

" _We can't let him win." The Goron- Darunia- agreed. "We saw what he did to the Kokiri village."_

 _The boy closed his eyes as he tried to fight off the painful memory, as another voice joined in. "So, what about the one who brought us together in the first place?"_

 _The boy glanced to the Zoras- amongst them, was a young Zora about his age, who also happened to be a princess. Once upon a time, she forced him to agree to a marriage to save this land, but recent events changed her for the better._

" _She can't be with us, Ruto." The boy felt a pain of sorrow. "When she saw what happened to the village-"_

 _He could not tell them the truth. Her reaction to what had happened was entirely unexpected, and had to be kept a secret._

" _We can't disclose her current location." The boy looked up as the Sheikah woman behind him placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We have asked far too much from her, and it is our time to repay that favor and act in her stead."_

 _But I must ask you this: if one of us can fall, so will the others. No matter our differences, I want us to be unified for these next few days, so that we may face our enemies without fear. Whether in this lifetime or the next, and whether or not we can see eye to eye, I hope that we may be together as one."_

" _You have my promise, my Sworn Brother." Darunia grinned to the boy._

" _We'll aid you as well, Link." Ruto quickly added. "No matter what, we won't let Ganondorf take over Hyrule."_

 _Link smiled in happiness. "Thank you."_

-seven years later-

"This stinks!" Bethany complained as Impa's division found themselves at the base of Death Mountain. "I wanted to go to one of the other eras and take pictures! The only good thing about this era was that this was when the Pictograph was invented!"

"That is not true." Impa told her as she glanced up the mountain. "This was the era of the Hero of Time. Hyrule truly became unified as a kingdom, because of what happened in this time." She frowned. "Something is wrong here." She could wear that she was sensing a dark presence upon the mountain.

"I hope we can get help." One of the knights spoke out. "But we could be mistaken for the knights of this era."

Impa took out the compass Liam gave her. It seemed to be pointing somewhere to the south east, but there was a huge wall blocking their way: the only option was to look for another way around.

"Follow me and keep your eyes open." She commanded as she turned to the others, though her eyes fell upon the blue cloaked figure and her eyes narrowed. She didn't trust the person wearing it- if he _was_ a person.

"Ah, that reminds me!" Shadow (who had almost been forgotten.) thrusted his hand into the mirror at his side, from under his cloak. Those near him watched as he rummaged around, before he quickly pulled something out from under the cloak and flipped it over for everyone to see- only for that something to turn out to be some _one_.

"Man, you're one heavy guy!" Shadow panted as a familiar looking Goron with the fire rod straightened himself up. "No offense!"

"None taken." The Goron tried to gradually adjust his eyes to the light.

"See?" Shadow beamed at him. "It's like carrying a Deku in a bottle."

"I couldn't see _anything_!" The Goron complained. "It was pitch black inside that mirror!"

"Isn't that Geode?" Bethany asked in surprise and voiced everyone's question. "But I thought you were with the others."

"Mr. Shadow let me tag along." Geode nervously explained.

"He knows this mountain better than any of us do." Shadow informed them. "We might need his help, just in case."

"Well, it's too late now." Impa frowned. "I hope this doesn't hinder us in our progress."

"I promise I won't General!" Geode quickly told her. (She wasn't entirely assured by this.)

Moments later, the division continued the ascension up the mountain. It felt as if no matter how far they went, the sky was forever locked in some sort of eternal sunset, while the air was warmer than they would have preferred.

"Relax Kay." Aaron turned to Kay, who seemed to be looking over as much of the mountain as he could. "Your girl might have made it to safety."

"If I ever see that pretty boy, I'm going to punch his lights out." Kay growled. At that point, a firm hand was placed upon his shoulder.

"Peace." Kay turned to see that Sir Winslow was giving him a calm eye. "Your sweetheart- what is her name?"

"Rosette."

Winslow smiled. "I'm sure that she will be happy to know you care so much about her. If my husband was in her place, I would go to the ends of the earth for him. However, I would advise keeping a calm head- we don't know what we will be up against."

Kay gave his superior a small smile and stopped looking every which way. Satisfied, Winslow let go of the man's shoulder.

The only person who wasn't happy at that moment was Shadow- and it was for his own reasons.

"Great, there's still sun light." He grumbled as he turned to look at the shadows the others casted. "Until I see a shadow, I'm stuck looking like some back alley merchant."

"I still have questions for you, creature." Impa pulled Shadow to the side, away from the others, but she still continued walking beside them.

"Ah, yes." Shadow sighed as he slightly pulled the hood up so that Impa could see his face. His eyes still glowed with an unnatural red, and his skin was dark to the point that it almost blended in the darkness within the hood.

"If you can shape-shift, why do you wear the face of the prince?" Impa demanded. "Why are you on our side, if you aren't working for thatsSorcerer, and why do you insist on hiding yourself from the sun?"

"I chose this face because I feel more comfortable with it." Shadow looked irritated. "Personal reasons. Would you have rather I looked like some balloon toting middle aged man, or a little girl? I can't handle sunlight like the rest of you, and I can assure you that you wont be able to use that against me. Anyway, as much as I'd like to see how you would react to the truth, we aren't at a good time to deal with my reasons for being here. Also, I can't stand that manic or his goons."

"And why should I believe you?" Impa pressed.

Shadow let out a chuckle. "I told you, General: you can't trust me."

"Then what are you really after?" Impa became angry. "Are you just another monster?"

"If you want a monster, General, you should have met my parents!" Shadow retorted. "Nice people, but a bit restrictive and too nosy!"

"Stop your foolish words, and tell me the truth!"

Before Shadow could make a retort, a fairy suddenly flew between them. "Hey, listen!" She cried out. "Princess Ruto is in trouble!"

The knights halted in their tracks and turned to look at the fairy. "Princess Ruto?" Shadow asked. "As in Princess Ruto of the Zoras?" To Impa's surprise, he held a hand out for the fairy to fly into. The little fairy willingly flew into his hand, where she continued to explain.

"For some reason, she was abducted by the Gorons!" She spoke. "Their leader, Darunia used to be benevolent, but then someone who called himself 'Link' showed up and he hasn't been the same since!"

This alerted everyone's attention.

"What did this 'Link' look like?" Impa asked. "The only other Link from this era- from this kingdom would be the Prince."

"He almost looks like the prince, but his hair is different, and he wears a blue scarf!" The fairy told her. "Shame on that man for sharing the name of a noble person and disgracing it!"

"Then it's our Link!" Bethany spoke out.

"Guide us to the Gorons." Shadow demanded to the fairy. "We need to see what is going on."

"Of course!" The fairy flew off and the others hurried after it as best as they could.

-Stage 9-

No sooner had they approached the main part of Death Mountain, then the Gorons that dwelled within charged towards them.

"Well, let's go save a princess!" Shadow spoke.

"NO ONE CAN PASS THROUGH HERE!" A Goron captain yelled over a cliff. "TURN BACK OR BE CRUSHED!"

"...Oh yeah, we're facing Gorons." Shadow slapped his face. "Talk about a pain in the-"

"We'll have to fight through!" Impa yelled. "There's no point in talking!" She then made her commands. "Half of you go up one way, the other take the other side! I want soldiers here at the middle, to keep the Gorons from ambushing the rest!"

"Wait a minute!" Geode quickly told the General. "They might have developed the boulder defense keeps by now! We need to find them!"

"Good!" Shadow praised before quickly grabbing Geode and Bethany. "You two come with me to the right!" He raced on ahead.

"We shall stay here." Winslow and his group prepared to stay at the bottom.

"I'll go left!" Impa went ahead and charged through, followed by a few soldiers.

"Why are you taking us with you?!" Geode demanded as Shadow lead him and Bethany past several Gorons.

"Because I have an advantage on this side!" In reality, Shadow judged the position of the sun and where the shadows would fall. One of the keeps that was hidden against the mountain provided shadows on one side, but so did a bunch of Gorons and a deku baba.

"I got it!" Bethany shot an arrow at the deku baba, while Shadow ran to the darkness.

"I can't fight my brethren!" Geode protested as Shadow removed the left half of the cloak to expose the mirror. "This isn't right!"

"Well too bad!" Shadow yelled as he summoned out clones of himself to do his work to cover more ground- he had little to do and he waited for the Gorons to come closer to him. If he could knock them out, then they could clear some room for those below.

Impa, meanwhile, had an easier time. She was uncomfortable about hurting the Gorons, even if they were currently their enemy. "What did this 'Link' do to them?!" She demanded to the fairy as she knocked back on coming Gorons.

"I don't know!" The fairy cried out. "I think they've been brainwashed!"

 _Could Link have been brainwashed too?_ Impa wondered as she forced herself to keep fighting. She wasn't used to going against the Gorons, who were very strong and could crush her skull if they so wished. Her only advantage was that they were slow on foot, until they took on their rolling position.

"Ready?!" A Goron yelled at two Gorons who stood by a number of boulders at one of the boulder keeps. "Aim!"

"Goro!" The two responded and punched their fists into the boulder. The force caused it to go rolling downward and it gradually picked up speed as it headed down towards the lower level positioned knights at the foot of the mountain.

"Incoming!" A knight yelled, and everyone scrambled to safety.

Impa was the first to reach her keep. Having the power of water at her side, it was easy to knock the Gorons out with certain elemental based attacks, and it took her under two minutes to do this on her own.

"Cover this side of the mountain!" Impa yelled to her men.

Meanwhile, Shadow and the others had a harder time. He was more powerful than either of them, but he knew that only Geode had the greater advantage. "Look, I know fire won't work against the Gorons, but it could at least knock them out!" He told the blue eyed Goron.

"What if I kill one of them?!" Geode frantically asked. "I can't do that!"

"Just try, ok?!" Shadow demanded. "You of all people should know how to at least knock their lights out! I can't do this all on my own!"

The Goron looked at the fire rod nervously. "I... I am a son of this mountain." He told it. He glanced to the oncoming Gorons and willed his whole being into the magic of the rod. "I will control the fire!" He slammed it into the ground and a burst of fire escaped and took on the form of a dragon. It circled around the trio and knocked back their opponents, before charging forward.

Deep inside Death Mountain, in the city of the Gorons, a Goron messenger rolled inside and stopped in front of his leader.

"Brother!" He spoke as soon as he uncurled himself. "The intruders almost have our boulder keeps! They are going to attack us!"

The Goron before him tightened his grip on the handle of his weapon. "Who dares attack the noble Gorons?! Whoever you are, prepare to battle a Goron Chieftain!"

He then rolled himself into a ball and speed out into the fray.

At this time, Impa was fighting off the Gorons in the middle pathway between the keeps, while the others finally caught the remaining boulder keep. "They're so much tougher than I imagined!" She took a deep breath- she almost wished she brought more knights who could break through the defense of the Gorons. She wished that she had more experience fighting Gorons- she spent more time training amongst her people than with other races.

The Gorons put up a better fight than most monsters, and Impa knew that this fight could end badly. They could squeeze a man's body in half, if they so desired, and that was not the worst that they could do to a frail bodied person.

The ground behind her shook, and she turned in alarm to see that a Goron curled up in a ball position landed right behind her. Slowly, he uncurled himself as a mighty hammer appeared in a burst of flames in his hand, before he rested it over his shoulder.

Impa felt her heart skip a beat when she saw the Goron. He was larger and more muscular than the other Gorons, and his spiked hair and beard seemed to go out in several directions. She knew exactly who this was- she had seen the drawings and the old sepia picto image from the history books.

"Darunia." She said aloud as the Chieftain smirked and cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Well, this ought to be a blast!" His voice was rough an eager. "It's not everyday you get to fight a Sheikah!" He raced ahead and swung his hammer out at the General, who quickly dodged before she tried to retaliate, but he then leapt forward and smashed his hammer into the ground. Thankfully this, gave Impa the opening she wanted and moved in.

"Get her!" A nearby Goron hollered.

"Show her why our leader is amazing!" Another yelled.

Elsewhere, the trio caught sight of this battle and stared in amazement. Geode was especially in awe.

"I cant believe it!" He almost gasped. "It's really Darunia! He's just as great as they said he was!" To see one of his ancestors in action was truly something that no words could justify. General Impa was almost a perfect match against Darunia, and to see watery spears and fiery boulders being tossed at each other was a spectacular sight.

"Yeah, well don't get comfortable." Bethany grabbed the Goron's shoulder. "He sees us as an enemy, remember?"

"Yeah, and we need to figure something out now." Shadow warned them as he saw some Gorons head towards them. "Keep protecting this base!"

"Why are you keeping the princess hostage?!" Impa demanded as she countered one of Darunia's attacks. "I thought you were an ally of the Zoras!"

"What, that brat?!" Darunia scoffed as he tried to swing his hammer into Impa. "You have to be joking!"

It was a bit of a struggle on Impa's part, because whatever happened to Darunia made him extremely dangerous and in normal circumstances, she could have killed him. However, she knew that this was out of the question, and so, she was forced to attack him without causing a fatal injury, but it was still difficult when Darunia seemed so intent on killing her.

Impa finally landed a blow and sliced her blade into Darunia. To her greater relief, it wasn't deep, but it was enough to briefly knock the large Goron down for a bit.

"Not bad." Darunia winced as he squeezed his hammer. "I'll have to withdraw for now, but only so I can strike back twice as hard!" He made the hammer vanish and he quickly rolled out. Impa scowled and hurried as fast as she could to catch up to him, but she might as well have had better luck grabbing a bird out of flight mid-air.

"Lady Impa?!" The fairy came back to the general, who finally stopped in her race up the mountain. "More Gorons are coming out of the mountain. They are going to try to reclaim their keeps!"

Impa felt her frustration grow and she turned to those who were within hearing range. "Get ready! Reinforcements are coming!" She yelled. "Don't let them reach the boulder keeps!"

What would ensue was a great struggle on the Hylian's side of the battle. Gorons seemed to pour out of their city nonstop, and the already smaller army was becoming increasingly divided up in trying to maintain both the base and protecting the keeps. While Impa was able to face the Goron captains that came out, Shadow's abilities in the battle were diminished without any sort of protection from the sun.

"You have to help us!" Bethany pleaded to the dark being as she tried to shoot an arrow at a Goron, while Geode was still forced to attack his own ancestors with the fire rod.

Shadow growled as he tried to think. If Darunia came back out, they would be in a heap of trouble. Already, the army lost a keep to the Gorons, and they were fighting to reclaim it. He let out a great curse and rushed out of the keep and into the sunlight, and he quickly changed his body into that of a dark wave, even as he felt the sun burn his skin.

Just as Impa reclaimed a keep and finished off a captain, she came face to face with Darunia, once again.

"Much better!" Darunia wiped his mouth his the back of his arm, before readying his weapon. "Nothing works faster than good old rock sirloin!"

Frustrated, Impa was once more forced to fight Darunia, while Shadow finally reclaimed a keep. However, Shadow's victory came at a price: three quarters of his visible skin and his garments had suffered burns from the sunlight, and smoke came off him as if he were some sort of dish that came off the fire.

"Son of a-" He winced in pain as he threw his cloak on and leaned against a corner of the keep that belonged to Bethany and Geode. His companions saw what had happened, and they horrified- to his annoyance."Instead of worrying about me, think about how to get back at the Gorons!" Shadow snarled as he tried to fight through his discomfort and his violent twitching because of it. "Think! What could we do to turn this in our favor?!"

Geode looked around the boulder keep and noticed that many of the large stones were high up top and unprotected. If he wished, he could shove one of them of the keep and into the base. "Well- I might not be good with mechanics-" He began. "-but I could push a boulder over into the city!"

Shadow prepared himself to get up, despite how much his twitching form protested against it. "Give me a sec and I'll give you a boost."

"That's ok, Mr. Shadow!" Geode assured him as he grabbed onto the side of the structure and began to climb up it as fast as he could.

"Nice!" Bethany cheered.

Meanwhile, Impa dodged a boulder that Darunia hurled at her as he laughed. She tried to rush at him, and readied her sword, but he noticed in time, and hurled his hammer right into her. Though she was quick to soften the blow with the flat of her sword, she was still sent flying across to the other side, and into the rock wall.

"How- are you-" Impa struggled to get up. "Able to recover so fast?!"

Darunia merely laughed again and readied his hammer before charging at her. Impa was forced to scramble for it, even as her body protested against her pains. "Your quick, Sheikah!" He told her. "But you're a great fool! You honestly think your men are a match for us?!"

"Goro!" Geode pushed the boulder as hard as he could by ramming his whole shoulder and body into it. He then watched as the boulder soared over the base and they listened as it rolled out- the faint sound of something breaking could be heard after it entered the great underground city.

"Did you get it?!" Bethany asked as she ran out towards the city, while Geode leapt off the keep and caused a slight tremor. Geode turned to see Shadow and hoisted him over his shoulder- despite the noise of protest- before he also ran off.

"I'm going to slow you down!" Shadow hissed as the shoulder of the Goron kept bumping into his stomach.

"If we get inside, you'll be able to fight, right?" Geode asked. "Just because your powerful, it doesn't mean you can do everything on your own!"

Elsewhere, Darunia heard what just happened. "What was that?!" He growled and rolled out.

Impa followed after him- there was still a chance to turn this to her favor.

"Ah, thank Nayru!" Bethany laughed as she and the others entered the city, where they could see that what once had been a great face had been smashed to pieces, and many disheartened Gorons noticed them, before they began to race up towards them.

"Hey, do you see that?" Geode noticed a poe lingering below. "That looks like that Wizzro guy!"

"That must be the thing responsible for this mess." Shadow growled as he looked up from over Geode's shoulder to see the creature. "You take it out- it's your honor."

"Thank you." Geode carefully set Shadow down, before he rolled out, towards the bottom of the city.

"I- I'll try to cover y'all." Shadow took the cloak off with shaking hands. "Got to do my part, right?" He let out a dazed laugh before his clones were sent forward and he stumbled after them.

"Sweet Din," Bethany shook her head as she readied her bow as the original Shadow changed shape, in order to make a safe landing. "If he went through all this effort to help us, he has to be on our side."

"Ready the Bombchus!" A Goron captain yelled. "Get their base!"

Shadow chuckled, while Geode turned engaged combat with the poe. "Guess it's up to me!" He grinned as he looked at the Gorons who raced out and judged that they were the operators. He directed his clones to go right after them, just as he stumbled after the Gorons.

At this point, Darunia entered the city and saw that the boulder that was sent into the city not only destroyed the large jar in the center, but it also smashed right through the door to his chambers, where he had hidden the secret to his strength.

"AGHHH!" He let out a very enraged roar as he held his hammer up. "You ruined the premium rock sirloin I hid! DO you have any idea who hard it is to get any of that?!"

"Can't you just dig any out of the earth, Chieftain?" Darunia turned to see a very annoyed Impa as she readied her weapon again. In turn, Darunia also readied his hammer. "I'm getting real tired of you, Sheikah." He growled. "You and your little men on our mountain!"

"Hurry!" Bethany yelled to Geode, as he tried to attack the poe. "He's going to kill Impa!"

"Give me a second!" Geode panted- the infernal monster before him kept disappearing on him and sent bursts of enchanted fire at him.

"This chaos is so much fun!" The poe crackled. "Just look at these benevolent creatures tearing the Hylians limb from limb.

"Stay still!" Geode sent a blast of fire at the poe, who got caught in the blast. It let out a horrible shriek, and that was when Geode rushed in and readied his fist. "And this is for Darunia!" He swore as he punched the poe smack dab into it's face.

At that moment, Darunia felt a change in his body- the sensation and rush of near invincibility suddenly escaped him, and it was like a cloud was vanishing in his mind. "Whoah..." He stopped and steadied himself. "I feel strange-"

"HYAH!" Impa twirled her body with her blade and finally landed a great blow into Darunia- the unprepared Goron was sent flying across the room and let out a terrific holler the whole ride through.

Meanwhile, all the Gorons across the Mountain ceased their fighting as they came back to their senses. However, that didn't stop the bombchus, and those like Aaron and Kay were forced to destroy it before running for cover- or, in the duo's case, right into a hole in the ground.

"Thank you caves!" Aaron praised as the two waited for the Bombchu to explode. Both plugged their ears and as they looked down from the opening of the hole, they finally got to see their surroundings... which included a cow, for some reason. A live, mooing cow.

"Aaron?" Kay flatly asked. "Why do the Gorons have a cow on their mountain?"

"Maybe they need the minerals in milk." Aaron shrugged.

The bomb above exploded above them.

"Then _how_ did they get the cow in the hole?"

Meanwhile, in Goron City, Darunia realized what was happening to him, and he was quick to try to stop the fight as soon as he managed to get back up on his knees.

"We surrender!" Darunia held his hands up in protest to Impa, who walked towards him. "We give up!"

"And how do I know that this isn't a trick?!" Impa demanded as Bethany, Geode, and all the Gorons who were still in the room ceased their fighting and watched the new development unfold.

"I didn't realize what we were doing! Forgive us!" Darunia pleaded as regret filled his being. "Someone was twisting our minds!"

"We believe you." Geode walked up to his tribe's ancestor- excitement filled his mind, but at the same time, he was somehow able to stay level headed. "We knew this wasn't like you, Chieftain!"

Darunia looked at the Goron in confusion for a moment. "You... you aren't one of us, are you kid?"

Geode felt his heart stop and turned to Impa for support. He was about to ask for help, when Shadow came stumbling back into the city- he looked as if he was about to collapse in exhaustion at any moment.

"Could you mind releasing Princess Ruto?" Shadow panted as he landed on his knees next to Impa. "A fairy told us you had her locked up."

"Oh!" Darunia realized. "Yeah! Of course! Man, I feel terrible for everything we've been doing."

"It's fine." Impa smiled as two Gorons went towards a room.

"Who are you guys?" Darunia curiously asked. "You dress like Hylian Knights, and yet I _know_ they haven't changed their get-up in years."

Impa bit her lip as she tried to think of a good lie- or a light explanation- when an elegant, yet haughty voice complained out loud.

"Well, that was a terrible experience!"

Everyone turned to see a young, beautiful Zora with violet eyes. "I trust that you remember that we are allies again?" She glared at Darunia.

"Unfortunately, I do now." Darunia grimaced as Geode became taken at how pretty the Zoran blue blooded woman was.

"She's really pretty." Geode blushed.

Bethany grinned as she finally saw some potential. "I have to get her to pose for me! Beautiful and sassy? That'll be a nice addition to my gallery!"

"I am Ruto, princess of the Zoras!" The Zora proudly told the small group before turning to Darunia. "So you agree to stop fighting those who still remain of my tribe?" the Zora demanded. "We are not the cause of your troubles!"

"Can you explain why there's so many monsters coming out of Lake Hylia and that accursed temple of yours?!" Darunia snapped.

"Oh, like you're one to talk!" She retorted. "Your temple is nothing but a jail cell turned into a mine!"

"My whole mountain has been cut off from the rest of the world!" Darunia snapped.

"And my domain has been frozen over, along with my people!" Ruto snapped back.

"Wait a minute!" Geode stepped in. "You two shouldn't be fighting! If it wasn't for your contributions, Hyrule would have fallen to darkness and lost to the King of Evil."

"He's right." Shadow pipped up as he held a finger into the air. "Instead of squabbling over whose temple is worse, you should be looking at the bigger picture."

Ruto turned to Shadow and gave him a cautious eye. "You look exactly like the one responsible for this mess."

"Let me guess: Link?" Shadow sighed in annoyance as he rested his face against a propped up fist. "Look, I'm a living shadow creature- I just wear the body better than he does, ok?"

"What happened?" Impa demanded. "The Link you speak of is supposed to be on our side. He would never intentionally cause such disasters." She didn't want to believe that any of this could have been done by him. The Royal family never used magic for evil manipulations- it was against their code of honor and the trust of the people.

"Well, I can tell you what he's done." Ruto spoke. "Just as soon as we leave this filthy mountain and head to Lake Hylia."

"Still think she's cute?" Bethany asked Geode. "She doesn't seem like a keeper, if you ask me."

"That doesn't answer my question." Darunia looked at Impa. "Who are you guys?"

"I'm afraid we will have to save this conversation for the journey." Impa could only tell him. "Now, could you tell me how to get to Lake Hylia? From what I can gather, there's a way to get there, besides traveling across the field."

"There's a shortcut in my city to get to get to the river, which leads to the Zora's Domain." Darunia began. "It requires getting through an underground tunnel in the forest. Provided it's not full of water." He gave Ruto a warning look.

"The tunnel has been empty, ever since what happened in the forest seven years ago." Ruto told Impa. "Zora's domain has been frozen over, but the water had been drained recently, so we all should be able to get to the lake."

-a little later-

Everyone was finally regrouping and once they came together, Impa and Darunina could tell them what was going on so far. Many Gorons wanted to help out, as a way of apologizing for what they did, in addition to getting their revenge on the one who twisted their minds.

"Poor guy." Bethany felt pity for Kay, who kept asking the Gorons if they had seen his girlfriend, only to be told that she hadn't been seen. She then noticed Ruto and quickly approached her. "Your highness?" She asked, and the Zora turned towards the archer. "Has anyone told you that you were picto-genic?" She grinned as she held her pictograph up.

Geode, meanwhile, was unable to speak with Darunia, since the Cheiftain was too busy getting everything ready. Instead, he noticed Shadow hiding in the shadows of a corridor- his hat was still twisting and twirling on it's own, and it gave him a sinister quality, and yet, the Goron approached him as if he were a friend.

"Hey, are you going to be ok?" Geode asked as Shadow examined his hands. "Those burns looked really bad. You really pushed yourself, just to help us out."

Shadow sighed, dropped his hand, and turned to face Geode. The burns on his skin and clothes were fading away, and he wasn't trembling anymore. His eyes glowed in the darkness, but the fatigue in them was as clear as day.

"I... I'm just really tired." Shadow admitted. "I know y'all are tired as well, but this has put some major stress on me." He slumped against the wall. "I don't know how long I can last."

"Why did you do it?" Geode asked. "Why did you bring me with you?"

Shadow weakly smiled. "Y'all shouldn't trust me, but I trust y'all with all my heart. Plus, I'm a sucker for dreamers..." He trailed off as he glanced to the mirror at his side. "I'll need to suffer for just a little longer- at least until we get done here."

He then finally grinned, but there was something unsettling about it- something that felt more in line with his dark features, and it made Geode nervous. "I haven't used all my tricks yet." Shadow's eyes shown with sadistic glee. "My grand finale is coming and it's going to be one heck of a show!"

* * *

-Outtake 1-

-Meet the parents-

"And why should I believe you?" Impa pressed.

Shadow let out a chuckle. "I told you, General: you can't trust me."

"Then what are you really after?" Impa became angry. "Are you just another monster?"

"If you want a monster, General, you should have met my parents!" Shadow retorted. "Nice people, but a bit restrictive and too nosy!"

-?-

Shadow sighed in preparation for the inevitable as he sat on the couch. "Hello Mom... Dad."

"oH lOoK sWeETie- OUR liL' sHADe's ComE hOmE."

In front of Shadow, on an opposite couch, were two hideous looking abominations. Both of which looked like evil grinning child versions of Ocarina of Time Link and Zelda.

Congratulations: you just met Mr. and Mrs. Drowned. AKA Ben and Beth Drowned.

"I heARed yOu FOUnd A NICe GirL!" Mrs. Drowned spoke.

"Yes ma, except I doubt anything will happen between us anytime soon." Shadow spoke. "She's pretty, and she plays music. She puts others before herself, and I guess that's nice-"

"WhaT AboUT tHAT oNE Boy?" Mr. Drowned ask. "What WAS hIS namE? PlUM? MAGenTA? PuRPLE?"

"You can't believe anything the internet says, dad." Shadow said in annoyance. "And his name was Vio."

"So YOU AreN'T gAY? We WOUld hAVE suPPOrtEd YOu AnYwAy. wE StiLL lOve yoU."

"We HEar YOu'Ve BeEn GeTTing ToO mUcH VitAMIN d, LAtelY. yOu HAve bEEn oUt iN tHE SUn fOr ToO lOng. YoU'll TuRn InTo A CrIsPY MarShmAlloW ThAt's bEeN OvEr ThE CAMpfirE fOr Too lOnG, AnD bE BlAck AlL ovER."

"I'm just doing what I can for the good of the world." Shadow told them. "It hurts like bitch, but I'll suck it up and keep going."

"yOUNg Man!" Mrs. Drowned roared. "SuCh cRUDE tAlK, Is NOT PeRmItED In THIS HoUse!"

"Oh, right, because nothing says crude like OOCness in an AU where the psycho creeps act like your best friend and shit happening to your author for every fourth wall breaking moment and in-story cameo." Shadow rolled his eyes. "...Wait. What just happened to the censor stars?"

"aPolOgIze TO yOUr MoTHer, ShADoW!"

-Outtake 2-

-...Why _that_ level?-

"Can you explain why there's so many monsters coming out of Lake Hylia and that accursed temple of yours?!" Darunia snapped.

"Oh, like you're one to talk!" She retorted. "Your temple is nothing but a jail cell turned into a mine!"

"Wait a second!"

All eyes turned to Shadow, who suddenly looked disturbed. "Did you just say monsters were coming out of her temple?"

"There are!" Ruto told him.

"So..." Shadow thought for a moment. "By temple, you mean the...water... temple." He slowly realized as a handful of knights and Gorons let out groans and moans as they too put together the connection.

Shadow then got up as he said "You know what? **** this ****, I'm out." He then turned and left. "I'm going to go to a bar and get wasted, if anyone want's to join me."

"Actually, **** it too." One knight followed him.

"Where are you going?!" Ruto demanded.

"Me too." Another knight agreed as he and a few more followed suit.

"Mind if we join you?" A Goron and his friends also joined.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU GUYS?!" Ruto demanded as she turned to Darunia, who only smirked, upon winning one point for the Gorons in the battle of the tribes.

* * *

Huh- I realized that Ruto could probably be friends with this AU's Ghirahim, after looking at her personality again. They could be the 'haughty buddies.'

Without spoiling anything, read Chapter 11 of Twilight Twists, if you wish to know about what happened with Zelda in the Kokiri Forest. (And since TT came after Time's Trade, it's a foregone conclusion at this point.)

Next chapter, we answer the big question concerning Shadow:

WHEN WILL THE CUCCO REVOLUTION BEGIN?!

Just kidding.


	10. Conquer yourself

**PsycoFangirl:** 'Shadow has a heart?' Oh, then you are really going to love this chapter. :) I wanted to make the parents joke for a super long time- it just made sense for Shadow to be the beloved hellspawn of Ben and Beth Drowned in the outtakes.

 **Thegeniusyoshi** :... I owe you one heck of an apology. I am not interested in starting that fan fic right away and I wanted to do Ocarina and HW really badly after Twilight Twists... plus, I actually haven't finished beating Minish Cap yet, because I've been busy. I am really sorry.

In the meantime, Vaati will be showing up in the next couple of chapters.

 **HeroAlexa249:** Oh, we are going to have fun with getting those two together. :D And I recommend that abridged series- it's pretty funny, and a lot of the more mature humor is pure gold.

-0.0-

Death Mountain sucks in Master Quest Mode- especially when you want that gold ranking for the square where you get Sheik's black ninja outfit. The fact that there was a cow in a hole on Death Mountain in OoT was confusing as is, and I really wanted to pay an homage to it.

Along with their choice in DLC characters, I wonder if the creators were trolling us when they chose the Water Temple for this segment- the layout is as confusing as it was in OoT. Luckily for us, it serves as the most fitting stage for Shadow to do his thing.

Funny thing: I did my childhood a favor and recently watched Batman Forever. Try imagining Shadow acting with all that similar camp and hamminess in this chapter: he might be giving it out in a way that that only comes from delightful ham in his glee for killing monsters. Mmm- tasty ham!

* * *

Chapter 10: Conquer yourself

Impa's men and Darunia's men (and everyone in between) finally entered Zora's Domain, which was frozen over and cold enough to give a winter in the Snowpeak region of Hyrule a run for it's money.

"Man, Zoras have a bad history of getting put on the ice." Aaron's teeth chattered as he tried to rub his arms for warmth. "You'd think they would have a back up plan whenever this happens." He wasn't the only one who was feeling the cold- almost everyone was unhappy about the change, and especially the Gorons and Ruto. The only ones who didn't seem effected were- oddly enough- Impa and Shadow.

"Here!" Geode eagerly held the Fire Rod up and allowed a steady jet of flame to burst out. It didn't do too much, but it was enough to make many of the Gorons and Ruto to eagerly run up towards him and walk within the warmth cast by the fires.

"Thanks." Ruto gave the Goron an appreciative smile.

"It's nothing, Your Highness." Geode blushed a little. "Anything to make everyone's lives a bit more comfortable makes me happy." He turned to Darunia. "Uh... Mr. Darunia?" He asked, and the Chieftain turned to face him. "Y-you're pretty well known, where I come from. I've admired you, and all you've done."

Darunia grinned. "Really? I guess our reputation precedes us. Tell me boy- what is the music like, where you are from?"

"So," Impa asked Ruto, while the Gorons chatted. "How shall we get into the temple?"

"It is a great labyrinth under Lake Hylia." Ruto explained. "There's the floodgates that the zoras and the professor at the lake house designed, to drain the lake in case of an emergency. We drained the lake somewhat, before the Domain froze over." Ruto grimaced as she glanced around her home. "Most of us got out as soon as we could. That was when our feud with the Gorons started."

"Yeah speaking of which," Shadow spoke up. "Once you drain the lake, I'd recommend that everyone wait for fifteen seconds first."

"Why?" Ruto asked as a select number of Hyrulean knights shot Shadow a nervous look.

"I have my ways of cleaning out infestations." Shadow shrugged. "It's quite a boom, really."

Finally, they reached the passageway that lead them from the Domain, to the lake itself. However, before they could exit, they heard a rattling sound- a familiar rattling sound.

"Is that-?" Impa and the rest turned to see huge numbers of stalchildren and even some Lizalfos and poes were coming towards them. However, what was more alarming was the figure in the middle of the army: he wore a familiar green tunic and blue scarf, and though his coloring seemed dull and paler than it should have been, there was no mistaking the identity of the young man who rested his hands on the hilt of the great sword.

"Y-Your- Link?" Bethany asked in surprise.

"Oh, look who it is." Link gave the division a displeased frown as he greeted them with a bored tone. "Invaders. Could someone please destroy them for me?" He asked the monsters, who eagerly charged ahead, before anyone could act or ask questions about why the green clothed man was in control of the monsters.

"That's him!" Ruto angrily pointed at the prince. "That's the one responsible for this mess!"

"You guys go ahead, I'll cover you!" Darunia charged forward, along with half of his men.

"Your Majesty?!" Impa asked in shock, but Bethany grabbed her general's arm and pulled her along. "Gates first, Prince later!" She told her.

"Help me with the switch!" Ruto joined in as she rushed out to the Lake, where even more monsters were waiting. "Someone help me!"

Link watched on. "This is the best any of you can do?" He then suddenly vanished from the fight, without a trace, before Darunia could smash him with his hammer.

Shadow hummed. "Well- looks like this is going to be my lucky day after all!" He grinned as he rushed out to the lake, while making sure that the cloak kept the sun off him at all costs.

"Where's the switch to the floodgates?" Impa asked Ruto, after pulling away from Bethany and joined the royal.

"Over by the lake house!" Ruto pointed to what almost reminded Impa of a small castle on the edge of the lake. At the same time, Ruto quickly put on strange silver like wristbands that had a scale pattern and blue crystals.

"This is hardly the time to put on jewelry!" Impa told her.

"These are the silver scales!" Ruto grinned and rushed ahead towards the oncoming monsters to demonstrate. As if she were like a dancer, she waved her arms out and sent out waves of water from her wristbands which knocked the monsters back. With the grace and elegance expected of someone of her status, Ruto almost danced around the monsters with a few spins and twirls, before she then created water underneath her, when she than swam through and charged through the horde as if the area was her own personal lake.

"Fascinating." Impa was impressed. Although the Zora girl came across as haughty, the General knew there was a reason that she became so well beloved in the history of the Zora tribe, and it was nice to actually see her in action.

In the frozen domain, Darunia was slamming his hammer every which way he pleased and he was quite enjoying himself as his hearty laughter seemed to echo the loudest above the chaos. "Don't worry my boys!" He called out. "We may be freezing in here, but we're definitely bringing on the heat!"

"Chieftain!" Darunia briefly glanced to see Geode rush into the fray. "I'd like to join in, if you don't mind!" He told him as he held out the fire rod. "It would be my honor!"

Darunia grinned. "Well then, don't just stand there! Turn the fire up a notch!"

With all the gleefulness of an excited child on his birthday, Geode swung the fire rod out and sent out jets of fire that blew into the stalchildren and lizalfos. To him, this was a lot better then whatever would have been waiting in the era of the sky, and though he knew Orick would give him an earful, he was having the best fun he ever had in ages.

Shadow stared at his surroundings in interest as everyone around him fought the good fight and he sang a certain tune he heard from the bombchu bowling alley, before noticing a house that looked like it was built into the rock wall. "Huh- I wonder if that's the fishing hole they kept praising about in this era."

"Ok, we made it!" Ruto and Impa ran to a monster infested area around the house, but they also found the switch. "Just let me work at it, and protect me!" Ruto ran ahead to the switch, while Impa turned her attention to the monsters and charged ahead.

A select number of soldiers fought near the fishing hole, and it was here that Link made his reappearance.

"Soldiers of Hyrule!" He yelled from the top of the building, and the soldiers looked up in confusion. "Flee from this temple! Drop your weapons and turn back!"

"Are you serious?!" Sir Winslow yelled at Link. "We're here to keep this mess from getting out of hand!"

"Yeah, what your saying is a load of bull!" Kay yelled as he smacked a monster in the face with his weapon. "We have no reason to believe you right now!"

"Oh, you certainly will when I get through with you pathetic fools!" Link's eyes narrowed before he walked away from the house.

"Got it!" Ruto finally pulled the lever of the switch down and moved back as the gears turned and the mechanisms of the flood gates turned and shuffled before the gates rose up. Almost i the water began to drain from the lake in record time and revealed the entrance to the temple under the furthermost island, along with a steep pathway. Those who were stationed near the fishing spot found a pathway that lead to a second entrance to the temple, but they recalled a certain warning and waited.

Immediately, a number of monsters were already escaping the temple and headed up the step pathway towards the rest of the battle. Despite the oncoming charge, only one person could see that some fun could come from this.

Shadow happily took out another bomb, which expanded when he held it over his head. Those who recalled what happened the last time he did this move stayed away from him as far as possible.

"Ten seconds!" Shadow sang and tossed the bomb down the steep pathway. It rolled down and squashed the monsters who weren't fast enough to run away from the bomb, before it entered the temple.

Seconds later, a huge explosion erupted from within the temple.

With a grin, Shadow rushed down the pathway and as soon as he entered the temple, he tore his cloak off and threw his hands out.

"Party time!" He yelled out as he created a dark version of Impa's sword and swung out at the monsters. Without the danger of the sun, Shadow could be as open as he wanted to, and his sadistic glee slowly built up as he went through his monsters, before his sword turned to Darunia's hammer.

"And smash!" Shadow shrieked as he crushed a monster before crackling with laughter. "Oh Nayru, do I love being alive!" He cheered as he swung the hammer around and into more monsters, before turning it into Zelda's sword and shield and ran ahead.

"Come!" Ruto yelled as she and Impa ran towards the temple.

"It's time to advance!" Impa yelled to her men, who quickly joined the two in their descent to the temple.

"If someone is masquerading as the prince, I'll find out who they are, before I slaughter them!" Impa growled.

"Your in luck!" Ruto told her. "The Hero of Time left the Lens of Truth in this temple some time ago!"

"The very one that sees through illusions?!"

"Yes!" Ruto grinned as the two entered the temple before she split off. "I'll go underwater and find it! We can meet back up later!"

"Hey, General Impa?" Aaron asked and pointed to Shadow, who was laughing as he went on a fast paced killing spree and sent monsters flying every which way. "Should we let him be? I think he can handle himself."

Impa sighed and turned her attention to the oncoming monsters from the east. "Let's get this over with."

Within two minutes, Ruto was able to maneuver the temple, thanks to memory and experience in the building, and finally located the Lens of Truth, which was hidden away. "Found you!" She grabbed it from it's hiding place in a chest and hurried through a shortcut to the front. "Now we can see whose wearing that handsome face." She firmly told herself.

She swam through a few corridors before she got out of the water and entered the middle section of the temple and saw Impa. "Hey!" she ran towards the Sheikah. "I got the-"

The doors slammed in front of her on their own and blocked the two women from reaching each other.

"Oh, of course." Ruto cursed and turned to see monsters appearing in the chamber she was now trapped in. "It figures they were planning to trap me here- they certainly have." She then turned to the doors and yelled "Go open the floodgates inside the temple! Seek out the keeps in the temple! Doing that should free me!"

"Hang in there!" Impa yelled before turning to her men. "Half of you come with me to search the east side."

"I'll have the west to myself, General!" Shadow yelled as if desperately wanting to be picked for a team. With gleeful laughing, he ran in that direction.

"We have the royal fish-brat: if you want her back, you all should drop your weapons and surrender." The voice of Link echoed throughout the temple as the Hyrulean knights tried to maneuver their way through the temple. "You may have a slight chance to over power my forces, but you were all too dumb to prevent the eras from being pulled out of the timeline!"

"What kind of coward takes hostages?!" Impa roared out. "You insult the name of the man you chose to hid behind!"

"And yet, the Triforce of Wisdom was in your possession, without you knowing it." Link's voice mockingly rang out. "Now how could that have possibly happened, hmm?"

Impa let out an angry roar and charged through- all monsters in her way were given no mercy.

What resulted on Impa's end was a frustrating excursion, because the temple was hard to search through, due to it's maze like design. While it was nice to have the extra help, the general and the knights were still met with waves of monsters, and even when they found the first switch, they had to turn back and charge through with the same force in order to get to the next switch.

Meanwhile, Shadow was having the time of his life. "Get them!" He yelled out as he sent out his clones to attack the monsters alongside him. With kid like glee, he even spun on the heel of his boot as he summoned out both Impa and Zelda's swords and sliced them through the monsters, before dashing forward with the blades out and allowed them to slice their way through more monsters. All this happened, right up until he found the first switch and flipped it so that the water in the temple could drain, but even then, he still wasn't done.

"Come at me, y'all!" He threw his arms out as the clones and duplicate weapons retreated back into his body. "I got the goods right here!" He then haunched over and bursted forward and changed his body so that it could turn into a dark wave which charged though the monsters before it reformed back into Shadow's more human form.

In the center of the temple, Ruto nervously watched as the monsters slowly approached her.

"I suppose..." Ruto dashed forward and summoned out enough water to create her own tidal wave, which she sent out into her opponents. She didn't know for sure if she could take them all out on her own, but it was better than nothing.

"I got a lot more to offer!" Shadow boasted as he ran to the next room with the switch and summoned out a dark version of a certain harp. "Face the music and fight me!" He smashed the harp into the face of a monster before smashing another one on his other side. With even more chaotic laughing, Shadow violently strummed the harp's strings repeatedly as he ran into the room as the monsters chased after him, before he finally gave the harp a hard strum with his hand, which he then threw out as a dark ring bursted from the harp and into the monsters.

"Who knew you could use an instrument for a weapon?" Shadow chuckled as he made the harp disappear. "We're almost in the third act boys and girls!" Shadow slammed the switch down before running to the area where he figured Ruto was nearby. "Come and watch while y'all still can!"

"Oh thank the goddesses!" Impa sighed in relief as she found the final switch and pressed it down. "I'm almost losing my mind here." She let out a nervous laugh and turned to face her men. "Between the layout of this place and listening to Shadow, I almost want to take a break."

"We can take over from here." One of them spoke. "Unless Shadow beats us to Ruto."

"I only stop when we close the gate and stop the impostor." Impa clutched the handle of her sword. "If you want to be useful, cover me until I find him, and keep fighting!"

Thanks to the combined efforts of the future warriors, the temple was now entirely empty of water, and Ruto was all too happy when Shadow ran through the now opened doors.

"I got rid of them, just in the nick of time!" Ruto happily grinned as she put the Lens of Truth into Shadow's hand. "Finally, I can get out of here!"

"Don't get too comfortable." Shadow was able to catch his breath and regain a little clarity after the rush of the fight.

"I am growing a little tired." Ruto admitted. "I'll leave the rest to you." She then turned and hurried to the other open doors, which lead to the outside of the temple.

"If you think we're going to carry you off, it ain't going to happen!" Shadow yelled to Ruto, who only waved her hand at him without looking, before he turned back to the huge chamber in the temple that he just came from.

"Now let's see if this works." Shadow held up the Lens of Truth, which revealed a secret chamber behind a wall which disappeared in a flash of light.

It was then that Shadow noticed Link in the hidden chamber, and behind the pale toned prince was a familiar looking portal. He didn't even hesitate to rush in and meet his counterpart, who was less than pleased to see him.

"It's nice to see you... " _Link_." Shadow's running turned to a walk as he mockingly made quotation marks with his fingers at the counterpart's name.

"How did you break my spell?!" Link asked, before he shook his head. "No mater. You brought this upon their pathetic heads." He then grinned as he yelled out. "My loyal servant, King Dodongo! Burn those fools to the bone! Go to the lakeside and kill them!"

All of Shadow's amusement dropped as he gave Link a cold death glare. "So that's how it is." He crossed his arms as a dark smoke escaped the mirror and slowly curled around him and turned everything it touched into pitch black. "You really are just a coward in disguise. Why not prove to me that you can handle us without your goons?'

Link shot his own glare as he took out his sword. "I have grown quite sick of seeing your face." He spat as Shadow slowly step towards him. "What kind of creature wouldn't join the winning side, with all that power at his disposal?!" He swung his sword out, but in that same amount of time, Shadow summoned a dark replica of that sword and copied Link's exact movement- causing the swords to clash.

Link tried to strike again, at a different angle, but Shadow also copied him and blocked him from attacking. Link then tried to bring the sword down, but Shadow again repeated the same gesture at the exact moment, as if he were a mirror.

"What are you doing?!" Link was flabbergasted as he tried to strike Shadow again.

Shadow smirked as he blocked the attack. "You forget," He told Link as the dark smoke crawled up his neck, before it engulfed his face. His form became completely black as if he were darkness itself, and his eyes not only became completely red, but they glowed brighter than they were had before. "I am a shadow, old bean. What do shadows do best?" He grinned.

The then enraged Link tried to attack Shadow, but the dark creature once again copied the move: and all of the moves that came after that.

-meanwhile-

"Oh come on- THIS AGAIN?!"

Once more, both Hylians and Gorons came face to face with a large Dodongo, but not for the same reasons.

"Well, if it isn't one of our old friends." Darunia grimaced before glancing to one of his men. "Tell me you guys brought the special crops."

"We sure did!" The Goron heartily held a bomb out. Darunia grinned before turning to face Dodongo, who slowly lumbered towards them. "Well, it looks like it's up to us."

"And me."

Darunia turned to see Ruto walk towards him until she stood by his side. "Let's give this creature a little something extra to face, shall we?" She asked as she held her arms out.

"Remember to wait for him to ready his fire breath." Darunia smirked. "We need him to recover from digestion first before we can go in."

"Of course." Ruto grinned as Dodongo tried to swipe at the Hylians and the Gorons, who quickly dodged his attacks. Dodongo retaliated by quickly spinning around and knocked back all who were close to him. Several of those victims let out yells as they flew backwards and those were who unlucky hit the rocks.

-in the temple-

Shadow and Link copied each other in perfect unison- or at least, whenever Link moved, Shadow would move too. When Link tired to walk away, Shadow would only follow him, and if Link tried to strike, Shadow would do the same.

"What game are you playing at?!" Link snarled as he tried to attack Shadow, who merely struck back in the same manner.

"Oh, no game." Shadow shook his head. "Just having a grand old time."

Again, Link tried to strike, but Shadow blocked him.

"Stop coping me!" Link yelled.

"Stop coping _me_!"

"What are you doing?"

"What are _you_ doing?!"

"Are you _serious_?!" Link finally yelled and swung his sword out. "You are had the chance to join Ceiya, with all that power, and you settle for acting like an idiotic lunatic?! How in all of that's sanity did they put up such an annoying thing like you?!"

Shadow chuckled "That's actually ironic, when I think about it."

Link yelled and tried to thrust his sword into Shadow, but then the dark being leapt up high and landed on the sword. To further mock the pale counterpart, Shadow shuffled his feet on top of the blade as if dancing.

"ARGH!" Link swung the blade and Shadow black flipped off of it. "Fight me like a true warrior!"

"But I'm having so much fun!" Shadow whined like a small child who didn't want to do something, despite being told otherwise. "It's not every day you get to fight your mirror, you know?"

"No, I don't!" Link snarled and tried to swing at Shadow, who merely back flipped over him, before striking him in the back. It was at this moment that Impa finally reached the chamber and stopped to watch the battle unfold before her eyes.

"Why don't you just die?!" Link roared as finally slashed his sword through Shadow's stomach.

Shadow let out a sharp cry and ducked as he tried to block his wound with his arms.

"Ah, that's more like it!" Link grinned before he finally made to thrust his great sword into Shadow's stomach, and the being only had enough time to look up before the sword went into his stomach and came out through his back.

With an anguished cry, Shadow suddenly fell through the sword as if a knife was cutting him in half and Impa watched in horror as he slumped down into the very ground itself, until there was no trace of him.

"About time I shut him up." Link sighed in relief.

"What did you do to him?!" Impa yelled at Link, who turned to face her with a triumphant smirk. To Impa's surprise, she actually felt shock at the sudden loss of Shadow. True, he was unpleasant and annoying, but-

"All shadows must face the light, General." Link merely told Impa as he waved a finger at her. "You should know that."

Impa then took out her sword. "Link may have been arrogant and overconfident, but he was never as cruel as you have been."

"Oh spare me the comparison, General." Link sighed as a dark figure slowly rose from the floor, behind him. "I did you a favor in getting rid of that troublesome monster."

"Or _did_ you?" Shadow asked as he took out the Lens of truth and held it out.

Link turned around in surprise, but it was too late. Pure light escaped from the lens of truth and caught the pale counterpart within it. He let out a scream as the light touched him and he struggled to escape, but it was no use. The spell that hid his true identity shattered to reveal a familiar looking monster in purple and gold jewelry.

-meanwhile-

Dodongo had curled himself into a ball and was rolling around the battlefield, while everyone was forced to run (or roll) for their lives.

"We have to get him now!" Ruto told Darunia after they kept their distance.

"Patience!" Darunia snapped as Dodongo uncurled himself and began to stumble towards them. "Most of his kind like to play with their opponents before they let out the fire!"

"Brother!" One of the Gorons who was carrying bombs in his arms ran to Darunia. "We got the bombs!"

"In a minute- we'll get our chance."

Dodongo then let out a furious roar that sent out a force strong enough to knock back his smaller opponents. It was right after that, the beast held his position and opened his mouth. A strange sound could be heard from within the beast, and that was when Darunia snatched a bomb from the Goron's arms and rushed forward. "Everyone get ready!"

At least five brave souls joined Darunia as Dodongo charged up, and once Darunia judged that he was close enough, he threw the bomb into the open mouth of the beast and at least two lucky bombs were able to go on in while the others only hit the thick hide of Dodongo before they exploded. Dodongo himself was forced to swallow the bombs and the materials in the explosives, combined with his fire, created a destructive reaction so severe that the beast fell to the ground.

"NOW!"

Darunia let Dodongo have it with his hammer and Ruto joined his side. The Zora princess sent strong water at the beast before she created a twirling cyclone that stunned her opponent.

"Get him!" A Hylian Knight yelled.

"Show that Dodongo whose boss!" A Goron yelled.

Those who belonged to both past and future cheered on as the leaders of both Zora and Goron gave Dodongo no chance to get up: Ruto's water knocked the beast's senses out of focus, while Darunia's hammer to the head kept the beast pinned down, with little time to get back up.

Finally, Darunia slammed his hammer into the ground, leapt up and rolled into the weapon which created a shockwave into the beast. Ruto then leapt onto Darunia and into the sky, before she sent out a barrage of both water into the beast and knocked it back until Dodongo let out it's death cry and exploded into dark smoke.

"Ha!" Ruto laughed. "It comes to show just what happens when you try to mess with us!"

-In the temple-

The light of the lens finally died, and Wizzro was free to move. He looked at the General and the shadow being in shock. "How did you-"

Suddenly, a black tendril shot out and tightly wrapped itself around Wizzro, who cried out in surprise. Impa turned in alarm to see that this tendril came from underneath Shadow's feet.

"I was hoping I'd get to face you in person." He told Wizzro as dark smoke slowly formed out of his body while he handed the lens of truth to Impa. All previous mirth that he had possessed had vanished, and was replaced with something cold and dark. "I let everyone else have a go at you. Now it's my turn and it's about bloody time too."

"What did I ever do to you?!" Wizzro asked in panic as the tendril tightened on him.

"Hmm, lets see." Shadow began as he slowly step towards Wizzro. "Your superior shattered the timelines and destroyed reality. That's pretty ambitious, but that's not the problem." He slowly raised his arms out as he slowly began to haunch his back, as if to prepare himself to pounce upon his prey.

"In this era, you posed as someone else, brainwashed the Gorons, and sent everyone out at each other. Despicable, but you could have acted like the person you were tying to be, to avoid detection." He chuckled as smoke escaped from his arms.

Suddenly, more dark tendrils shot out and wrapped themselves around Wizzro, and they tightened upon him.

"In our era, you tried to take over the kingdom and destroy a village while kill off all it's residents." Shadow's smile briefly turned into an angry scowl. "That makes me very angry... but that's not the reason for this."

"Than _what_ is?!" Wizzro yelled as he struggled to escape- not even his magic could free him from this. Slowly, the darkness escaped from the mirror and surrounded Shadow. It formed behind him like a set of thorns or claws, which only further made him seem intimidating, but it was the intense hatred in Shadow's blood red eyes that truly made him seem like a monster. "What could I have possibly done to you- of _all_ people- to get under your skin?!"

"You-" Shadow growled before bursting out in a tremendous fury "-HURT MY SISTER!"

Shadow threw his claw like hands out and crossed his arms together in a violent flourish as the darkness behind him copied his moved and slammed into Wizzro.

Impa watched in shock as the poe like creature let out a scream in the darkness, but Shadow wasn't done yet. As soon as the darkness faded to reveal Wizzro- who was still trapped by the tendrils, Shadow summoned out the replica of Link's helix sword and charged forward.

"NO ONE!" Shadow stabbed Wizzro straight through, before he leapt up into the air. He then threw his hands out and sent dark spiraling tendrils out from his body- along with the sword, which also turned into a tendril- and they went straight at Wizzro. "HURTS ARYLL!" He yelled as the darkness pierced the hateful monster, whose screams only worsened.

Shadow finally landed onto the ground as the tendrils retreated back into his body, allowing Wizzro to finally be free. The monster collapsed in a heap and could barely struggle to get up as the darkness left Shadow's body and retreated back into the mirror. Shadow once again looked like his normal self- or at least a dark version of the form of the person he was using.

"You better pray that you don't see me in this form again, or even think of hurting the people I care about." Shadow warned Wizzro, whose eye violently twitched, along with the rest of his body. "I'd kill you, but I think letting the message sink in is more gratifying, you know?"

With a moan and frantic scurrying away from Shadow, Wizzro finally sank into the ground, away from the now dangerous era.

Shadow finally sighed as fatigued hit him and he staggered for a moment. He held his face in his hands and took a moment to compose himself, while Impa kept staring in wonder at Shadow.

Was it possible that what he said-? But then why-?

"...L...Link?" Impa nervously asked.

Shadow rose his face out of his hands and gave Impa a tired, yet sheepish smile. while he wordlessly grabbed the mirror from his side and pulled it off from it's binds. Slowly, he raised it above his head and looked up as the darkness from before began to escape from it.

"You know-" Shadow began as the darkness turned into tendrils that slowly wrapped themselves around him, like a snake to it's prey. "I had fun embracing this persona and messing with y'all while it lasted." He grinned. "It's nice to be a little dark- yeah, a little _too_ nice, but it was fun." He concluded as the darkness completely overtook him.

Seconds passed before the darkness turned to a light composed of blue, green, and yellow, which then retracted from the holder of the mirror. In place of Shadow holding the mirror was a very familiar young man who held the mirror up as the light escaped back into the mirror. His blue eyes opened and looked up to watch until every part of the light finally returned back into the mirror, before he turned his gaze to Impa and let his arm drop to his side.

"Hey, Impa." Link smiled and greeted her with a warmness that seemed so long ago, and yet not quite.

Impa stared, until she finally accepted what was before her eyes and managed to smile. "Your Highness." She greeted. "But- why did you not tell us sooner?"

Link held the mirror out for Impa to see. "When I was traveling with Linebeck." He began. "I heard word of a mirror that either contained dark powers, or could reflect what was inside a person's heart. Or even take you to another dimension. I went to search for it, and I wanted to study it's purposes, in case it posed a threat. Before the battle at the castle happened, I gave it to Aryll, for safe keeping."

 _-Weeks ago-_

 _Aryll waited nervously out on the balcony as the battle on the field continued on. She feared for her brother and all of the knights- some of whom were close enough to almost be like family to the Royal Family themselves._

 _She turned her interests to the parcel Link gave to her. With curiosity, she opened it up and removed the cloth within to reveal a beautiful, yet unsettling looking mirror within it's contents._

" _A mirror?" She asked as she touched the frame._

" _You who touch the mirror." A voice suddenly rang out, and she almost dropped it in surprise. "Fear not: though your heart contains envy for your brother's freedom to travel, and frustrations of feeling inadequate, your heart is full of kindness and curiosity. Therefore, your future shall be clear, so long as you continue to keep your vices in check."_

" _...Thanks?" Aryll raised an eyebrow._

 _Suddenly, she could hear a crackling laughter, and Aryll looked up to see Wizzro._

" _Your brother and your knights aren't here to save you, little princess!" Wizzro chuckled as he sent a wave of dark magic out, which then struck Aryll. The girl went flying into the wall and the mirror flew out of her hands and scattered across the ground before it came to a stop._

" _Aryll!" Link then appeared at the balcony as the green magic of Farore's Wind died away. He saw Aryll slumped against the wall and he turned to Wizzro with a strong desire to kill him._

" _Oh, you just had to ruin my fun!" Wizzro snarled as he charged at the older sibling. Link yelled as he swung his sword out and charged after the dark wizard._

 _Aryll finally regained consciousness to see the fight between her brother and the wizard. She could see that Link- in his anger- was thrashing at Wizzro like a madman, and she began to worry that the fight would not be in his favor. She tried to recall the spells she was taught, but without two of the crystals or the Wind Waker to amplify what magic she did possess, she was left powerless in all but one spell._

 _Suddenly, Link was knocked aside by a wave of magic and he was sent across the balcony, near the mirror._

" _And now for you, my sweet princess!" Wizzro crackled as Aryll turned in alarm to see a ring of magic orbs form around him. Aryll struggled to recall her magic as she scrambled towards her brother, and concentrated as she grabbed the only crystal on her being._

" _YAH!" Wizzro sent out the magic towards the siblings._

" _ARYLL!" Link yelled in panic as he scrambled to get up and accidentally placed his hand upon the surface of the mirror._

" _NAYRU'S LOVE!" Aryll yelled and held her hand out, which contained a blue crystal that began to shine._

 _A diamond like shield covered Aryll and sent the dark magic right back at Wizzro, who was forcefully knocked back with a screech and fell over the balcony._

" _Link!" Aryll turned to face her brother as the diamond around her faded away. Link, however, had other problems: dark tendrils suddenly shot out of the mirror and wrapped themselves around the hand that was on it's surface._

" _Your soul is full of arrogance, ego, and pridefulness, you who touch the mirror." The voice of the mirror spoke out as dark tendrils continued to grow and wrap around Link's arm as he struggled to pull away from them. "You deny the aid and the voices of those who wish to help you. Such ill vices would bring a warrior and future king to ruin."_

" _Link?!" Aryll asked as she got up and ran to Link's aid, but her brother threw his arm out._

" _STAY BACK!" He cautioned._

 _The tendrils grew and, without warning, Link was suddenly sucked into the mirror until he was gone from the world while Aryll let out a scream of horror._

 _She held her hands to her mouth as she stared at the mirror- it's surface was pitch black. She didn't know what to do and she didn't know if she should get help or wait, but touching the mirror was out of the question. Instead, she could only wait and pray that her brother was safe._

 _Suddenly, the darkness escaped from the mirror, but this time it expanded into a sickly mass which was spewed out onto the ground. The darkness then retreated back into the mirror and left behind a person who was familiar and yet not quite._

 _It was Link, but his features had changed: green turned to black, blue to purple, and gold hair was now purplish black. Aryll nervously looked on at this polar opposite, who looked ragged and torn, compared to the former neatness and majesty of her brother's appearance._

 _Red eyes slowly opened and the figure before Aryll let out a groan of discomfort before he glanced up at her._

" _A...Ar..yll?" His voice came out in a sickly wheeze. He slowly pushed himself off the ground, but he noticed how his hands looked different and even claw like and turned to Aryll in alarm._

 _Aryll let out a sudden gasp and rushed to her brother and hugged him. "You're still here." She breathed. "Thank Farore, you're still alive."_

 _Shocked, the figure that was Link- or still was- slowly returned the hug._

" _I'm still here." He hesitantly reassured her, though it felt more like he was trying to reassure himself._

 _But there was some hesitation as his mind swarmed with questions._

" _Are you ok?" Aryll asked as she still hugged Link._

" _...Don't tell anyone what happened- I don't know if you're even safe with me anymore."_

" _Huh?" Aryll looked at her brother in confusion as he pulled away from her and snatched the mirror away._

" _If I can, then I promise I'll come back." He glanced to her one last time and squeezed her shoulder before he ran and jumped off the balcony._

" _L..Link?" Aryll asked as she got up and hurried to look over the balcony, but Link- or what was left of Link- had vanished without a trace._

 _-now-_

"So she knew all that time..." Impa realized. "And she never even told us."

Link looked at the mirror one more time as he continued to explain. "My real body was inside the mirror, while my spirit was entwined with the powers of the darkness- that's how I could do most of the things I did. The downside was that I couldn't walk in sunlight without feeling pain."

Link then put the mirror away. "I'll explain the rest later, but for now, we should focus on closing the gate." He turned towards the gate but then turned to Impa.

"I'm sorry... I really did think that I could do everything on my own, without anyone's help. It took this quest and a cursed mirror to tell me otherwise." He held a hand out. "So... we should do this together, right?"

Impa smiled. "It's good to have you back." She held her hand out also.

The two focused their energy into the spell, which then was sent into the gate and took on the form of yellow symbols, before the gate vanished altogether.

-outside-

All of the knights and Gorons were exhausted by the time the monsters suddenly retreated, and they were thankful for that. The injured were being quickly attended to, while those who were in the temple re-joined them.

"Hey- thanks." Darunia turned to Ruto as he sat down on the ground and rested an arm over his hammer.

"You're welcome." Ruto sat down beside him. "We- we really showed that thing, didn't we?"

"Yeah." Darunia laughed and glanced to Geode, who was helping to attend the injured as best as he could. "But we couldn't have done it without their help."

'I can't wait to get back home." Sir Winslow rested against the rocks, next to Bethany as she took some pictures. "I don't care if we just saved the past: I just want to sit on the couch and take a nap."

"Agreed." Bethany nodded.

Meanwhile, at the laboratory by the lake, Aaron went to knock on the door. "Hey, is anyone in there? The monsters are gone."

The door opened to reveal an almost comical looking old man. "Hmmm?" He peered up at the knight. "We heard a strange racket out there."

"Yeah." Aaron nodded. "We were just checking in on everyone and making sure all is accounted for." He then noticed someone walk up behind the professor: a pretty plump young woman with circular glasses. The second he locked eyes on her, he recognized the girl. "Rosette?!"

"Is that you Aaron?" Rosette tilted her head. "What on earth are you-"

"Holy-!" Aaron turned back to yell "KAY! I FOUND HER! ROSETTE'S HERE!"

The frustrated knight in question turned around, but the second he heard his friend's words, he felt his heart stop and raced towards the lab. Likewise, the young woman carefully maneuvered around the professor and ran out of the lab and only ran faster when she saw Kay.

"KAY!" She cried out and threw her arms out.

All eyes turned to watch as Kay ran and embraced the girl he had been so worried about the whole entire time.

"Oh Din, Rose!" Kay moaned in happiness. "When I saw the mountain appear, I was scared out of my head for you!"

"It's ok!" Rosette squeezed the knight as tightly as she could. "I ran as fast as I could, and I escaped to the lake! I was with a kind professor and he's been nice to me as if I were his own child!"

It was a little moment as if out of a story that brought out some weary, yet happy smiles for those who could manage it.

Finally, Impa and Link walked out of the temple. Impa walked ahead, but Link hesitated when he saw that he was about to step away from the protection of the shadow and into the sunlight.

"Is something wrong?" Impa turned when she heard that Link stopped and turned. The young man appeared to be thinking about something.

Link closed his eyes, took a deep breath and stepped out into the sunlight.

He continued to walk up the pathway along with Impa, but he internally went over the almost incredibly face that, for the first time in what felt like ages, the sunlight felt warm and pleasant, rather than like he was thrown into a stinging fire that ate up every inch of his body.

As soon as everyone saw who was with Impa, there was some shock, along with distrust, after all that had happened.

"The 'Link' you saw was Wizzro in disguise." Link spoke out as loudly as he could for all to hear, even if he knew that half these people would want to punch him in the face in a minute. "Shadow was the disguise I was using to figure out what was going on. I know that I should have told you all when this whole time travel mess first started, but now it's all over."

As he guessed, there were some gasps, some eyebrows raised or furrowed, and there were some heads shaking in disbelief.

"Well holy cow." Bethany smirked.

"It was actually obvious to me." Winslow admitted. "I was just waiting to see if I was correct."

Link walked to Darunia and Ruto, and he respectfully bowed before them. "I owe you all an apology. That impostor was from our era: seeing as there was chance that this could have been prevented if I told the others sooner, this may as well have been all my fault." He raised back up. "I understand if you don't forgive me."

"Ah, it's fine." Darunia waved his hand. "This era has a funny thing with time traveling and a potential disastrous future coming into play, so we believe you."

"I suppose I can forgive you." Ruto crossed her arms. "Though I'm annoyed at what happened to my domain."

"We are going to leave here as soon as we can." Link glanced to the others as Impa stood beside him. "We caused enough trouble here. I really wish I knew what it was that Ceiya wanted from this era, but it couldn't have been a good thing if it was trapped here."

Both were silent for a moment.

"You... said you were from the future, right?" Darunia asked as he stood up. "I don't know why, but something is telling me to go with you guys."

Link and Impa looked at the Goron in alarm as he explained. "I'm guessing you know about the war seven years ago and the cause of it. I guess if I had been a bit more active, we could have helped to prevent a lot of deaths from happening." He frowned at the memories before he smiled. "Plus, I want to help you guys out. You seem like the right kind of people to hang out with. And besides- it's about time we help protect the future, instead of the other way around."

"If he's going, I'm going." Ruto shot up from the ground. "I mean, it's not because I like you guys or anything." She bit her lip. "But you helped us, and someone needs to pay for what they did to my domain."

"Are you sure?" Impa asked them as she thought of the consequences that this would create. "It might ruin your own futures, and there were certain... long term consequences from that war that effected our history."

"At this point, you need all the help you can get." Darunia grinned as he hoisted his hammer over his shoulder. "And we should show your era what we 'old timers' can do."

* * *

-Outtake special-

-How to slack off at Lake Hyl- actually, you already know this one-

"You know, there's something I wanted to do." Link suddenly spoke out. "Ever since we came to this era, there's been one thing I wanted to do."

"Oh?" Impa turned in interest. "What exactly was that? We can't exactly visit much of this era of Hyrule, and we've seen all of Death Mountain and Lake Hylia."

Link suddenly cracked a grin. "Or _did_ we?"

Half an hour later, a huge number of Gorons and Hylians were close to breaking the number of persons limit at a huge fishing hole. Some of them were fishing while trying to avoid each others lines and lures, others chose to just watch from a safe distance by the counter, and Aaron somehow took out a guitar and strummed a few chords while Kay played his harmonica as Rosette rested against him.

Needless to say, the owner of the establishment was torn between being perplexed by all the recent events, or happy to get a large number of customers.

"...You wanted to fish." Impa flatly asked Link as he reeled in his lure.

"Yeah, so?" Link nonchalantly shrugged.

"...You wanted to fish." She repeated. "Of all the things you wanted to do, it was this."

"Oh, I got one!" Darunia cheered as he struggled to pull in a fish.

"How come your here?" Bethany asked Ruto as the two watched. "Isn't this similar to torture or something for your species?"

"We eat fish." Ruto told her. "It's no different than a shark eating one."

"Ah, food chain in progress." A fellow Goron nodded in realization.

"We don't have time for this!" Impa snapped at Link. "By Din, I'd think that you would have other matters in mind."

"Hey, if y'all are happy, and time doesn't flow that much, than why the rush?" Link gave Impa such a cheeky grin, that she swore that Link wasn't done being Shadow _just_ yet. "I think that General Impa should take a breather for a moment." He held the fishing rod out to the Sheikah.

If he was still Shadow, Impa would have punched him in the face. Instead, she was trying to fight a sudden migraine.

* * *

Moral of the chapter: If you hurt someone, then gods have mercy on your soul if their loved ones come after you. Disney taught us that something like that can be _very_ scary.

Did you correctly guess how Shadow could be Link?

The mirror comes from Four Swords Adventures (game and manga), though the concept of Link's vices are from Hyrule Warriors and some of Shadow's non-canon powers were of my own creation. The blue cloak that Shadow kept wearing is from the old Zelda comic 'The price of power' in which Link was getting corrupted by the Triforce of Power, to the point that he was almost literally turning into a monster like Ganon. The verbal tic 'y'all' is from an old online translation of the Four Swords manga, before Viz gave out the english version.

Link will explain a little of Shadow's personality and behavior in the next chapter. So long for now Shadow... oh wait: he's about to show up in Time's Trade. *rubs hands together*

Our next chapter is the big, awkward, and highly interesting reunion- we aren't jumping to the Master Sword chapter _just_ yet. First, we need to see what Nabrooru and Saria got up to, while everyone had their 'fun.'

So again: do you guys want those three Twili OCs to stay on board and aid the cause? Or just keep it canon and have only Zant and Agitha come from the Twilight era? I won't be posting the next chapter until sometime near mid-August. Things are requiring me to be posting monthly pretty soon, so updates wont be as frequent.


	11. Reunions and Revelations

**Skyward Wind:** I'm happy that you are enjoying the fics, and I'm not offended if you haven't reviewed until now. I don't know if I'm going to do either of those in the near future- I like the idea of making Link and Aryll the captains of the pirate ship and their grandma used to/still is (?) be a bad-ass pirate back in the day (like something out of a Miyazaki movie). I don't know if it can be canon in this series, but who knows.

 **HeroAlexa249** : Time will tell if AU Shadow will show up again- he would get along with Zant for sure. :D When I said Disney movies, I was thinking Dumbo and 101 Dalmatians (the parent animals were incredibly scary looking when they were enraged at those who dared to try to harm their children.) I tried watching Hyrule Warriors the movie, but I wasn't too fond of some of the voices and the second I heard what they did for Ghirahim, I couldn't stop laughing because it was the exact style of voice that I was hoping they wouldn't pick.

 **Thegeniusyoshi:** Sadly no. I was tempted to make some sort of joke when I heard who would be appearing in the 3DS title, but I can't see how it could work. (I do wonder why they thought the King of Hyrule would be a good playable character, but then again they haven't had the best selection of minor character/DLC fighters.)

 **PsycoFangirl:** I'll have to keep that red thread in mind. Maybe not in this chapter, but for one of the next chapters coming up. :D

I have been neglectful when it comes to this, so I'll say it now: thank you guys for reading this fan fic, and for your great reviews. I know I'm not the best when it comes to keeping promises, and you guys deserve some honesty. As summer slowly ends, I won't be able to update as often, but that means that I will have to make each future chapter especially good for those who are waiting for an update. (Especially after this chapter.) And now, here's a word from our sponsors:

-Somewhere on the fourth wall-

"Come on- come on I know you want to get me!" Lexi snarled at the computer screen. "I know you want to get me sparkleBUTTS15! YOU CAN'T BEAT THE GREAT galegal500!"

"You know that gun is not going to work." Skull Kid told her. "And your waiting will only end in sorrow."

"Shush!" Lexi waved her hand at her companion.

"Why is Mistress Lexi playing Team Fortress 2 when she could be playing something better? BZZT!" Scrapper asked as he floated next to the boomerang spirit.

"A fellow annoyance!" Skull Kid cheered as he jumped and waved at Scrapper. "It's good to see you, gear-brains!"

"The feeling is mutual, creepy grinning child, ZRT!"

"YES!" Lexi fist pumped the air. "I got em!"

"WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?!" A fairy trapped in an upside down plastic bucket next to Lexi's computer demanded. "AND WHERE'S MY FRIEND?!"

"I went and kidnapped Ivan from Time's Trade." Lexi giggled to herself as she looked up from her computer at the reader. "It felt like the right thing to do for our developing gang of rejects. So... let's recap:

Zelda and her men went to Skyloft, fought some monsters, and got a whacko for their team.

Liam and his men went to the Twilight era, fought some monsters, and got a pre-teen and a whacko for their team.

Impa and her men already had a whacko on their team. It turned out he was everyone's favorite man in green... then they got a walking fish person and living rock man for their team.

So, what the heck were the forest kid, fairy companion, and rebel woman up to?"

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Reunions and Revelations**

"WOOOO!" Nabrooru cheered as she held onto the leg of the Helmaroc King. "Were almost there!"

"Don't look down, don't look down." Saria chanted to herself as she held onto the other leg of the large bird as tightly as she could. Despite being a fairy, Sunny was hanging onto Saria's hair and pleaded in a similar manner to the young girl.

"Ah come on!" Nabrooru scoffed. "It's just a few hundred feet off the ground!"

The Helmaroc King let out a mighty 'CAW!' when it spotted Hyrule Castle in the distance.

"I hope the others are ok!" Sunny managed to speak out. "We probably have it easier than them!"

"Except they don't have to fly several feet through the air!" Saria pointed out as her stomach began to feel funny. "Nabooru, could we please land? My stomach is feeling weird."

"Give me a sec!" Nabooru glanced up at Helmaroc King. "CHARGE!"

The giant bird let out a 'caw' that was mightier than the last one, and it obeyed it's mistress. It sped downward like an arrow towards the castle, and it didn't even try to lose much altitude. It's riders screamed for two very different reasons: joy and horror.

Meanwhile, a red haired young woman was delivering milk from a nearby ranch to town. She was humming a song as she lead her horse drawn wagon to the gates, but the second she heard the screaming, she looked up as a great bird flew overhead in the direction she was going.

"That looks inconvenient." Malon shook her head as she looked back down. "That's why I prefer horses."

-Castle town-

"Oh gods, I'm going to hurl." Saira knelt onto the ground as her fairy companion sympathetically flew to her side. Meanwhile, the townsfolk looked on in silence as the Gerudo petted the gigantic black bird.

"Thanks a bunch!" Nabrooru beamed at Helmaroc King. "You go off and get yourself something good to eat- just don't snatch anyone's livestock off their property, or they'll kill us."

The Helmaroc King lightly tapped Nabrooru's head in appreciation, before it stretched it's wings out. Nabrooru walked away as the bird flapped it's wings and was able to get off the ground, before it bursted up into the sky. The Gerudo watched it fly away from the town for a moment, before she turned her attention elsewhere. "Well, let's go." She pulled Saria up and led her towards the castle.

"Man, things seem pretty tense around here." Nabooru looked around and sensed the silence amongst the townsfolk. With the exception of moving carts and carriages, and small action at the stalls, it was as if everyone was treading a thine line with little desire to breathe. A glance at the sky showed that the light barely escaped from the dark clouds, and you could see Skyloft floating off in the distance. It was a beautiful sight, but at the same time, it seemed wrong, as if the island would crash to the ground at any second.

"So this is what happens when you have the full power of the Triforce." Nabrooru murmured. "It's like the end of the world is coming at any minute."

"There's been something that's been bothering me." Saria finally spoke. "Why did you want to kill Ceiya so badly?"

Nabrooru stopped in her tracks, and Saria and Sunny stopped too as she waited for a response. "It's... hard to explain." Nabrooru began.

"But it's like you knew this would happen." Sunny pointed out.

"She was trying to prevent the coming of the Boar." A whimsical voice spoke out.

The small trio turned to see that the Happy Mask Salesman had a colorful stall set up, with masks on display. He sat in front of a colorful cloth covered crate and he was examining a pig mask. "You have much spirit in you, and it burns with justice." the Salesman noted without looking up.

"How did you know that?" Nabooru demanded.

"The Boar has been a plague upon your tribe." The Salesman nonchalantly continued and held the mask out. "He tarnishes it's good name and almost brought it to ruin many years ago. You of all people knew the significance of the Black Sorcerer's interest in gathering the Triforce, and you tried to take action."

He lowered the mask down and grinned. "Your ambitions are noble, my spirited lady, but you cannot prevent the coming of the Boar. Should you interfere with the Boar in his wild rampage, you will surely meet a terrible fate. I can only give you fair warning: should you see the Boar, you must do what you must to protect your tribe."

Nabrooru fell silent.

"But how would I know? I'm just a humble mask salesman." The man put the mask away and turned to the rest of his wares.

"What do you mean." Nabrooru demanded.

The man hummed an eerie little tune as he pulled out a bunny hood.

"What do you mean?!" Nabrooru demanded a bit more forcefully as she slammed her hands down on the crate.

"Come on, let's go." Saria grabbed Nabooru's arm and pulled her away.

The Gerudo shot the Happy Mask Salesman an untrustworthy glance, before she followed Saria.

-Hyrule Castle-

Nabrooru felt a little uncomfortable in the throne room of the Castle, and even more so when she saw the King, while Saria and Sunny were more at ease. The King looked at the girls in calm interest, while his niece stood nervously by his side.

"We have a letter from General Impa." Saria curtseyed before the Royal Family before handing the letter to the King. "It regards what has been happening to the kingdom."

"Thank you." King Alfon accepted the letter and opened it up. The girls watched as he read the letter, while Aryll read the letter over his shoulder: it was hard to tell what they were thinking, and it was a little unsettling when there was a long pause after their eyes stopped moving.

"So it's come to that." The King finally lowered the letter and looked at the girls. "Thank you for delivering this message. You are free to stay here for the night, as payment."

"What did the letter say?" Sunny asked. "What comes to 'that', Your Majesty?"

"We need the Master Sword." Aryll gravely told them. "That's how bad things are."

Nabrooru sighed in frustration as she yanked at her pony tail. "Great- now we have to wait."

"It shouldn't take too long." Saria tried to reason. "We don't know what the others are going through, but they should come back as soon as they can."

-Later-

The first courtyard that one would find themselves in upon entering the castle from the town was not only quite spacious, but it remained largely unchanged for nearly one hundred and fifty years. It was where the time traveling soldiers would return when they were done in their respective eras, and it was here that a small group decided to wait on the steps to the castle.

"Your move, sailor man." Nabrooru spoke as she held up her cards. "I got 25 rupees and a membership card on the line."

Linebeck slammed down a card before pulling out another one. "I got jack, so there isn't anything you can take from me, besides a green rupee."

Aryll picked a card up and then took out three cards from her deck. "I got a trio!" She grinned and slammed them down. "Looks like I'm going to win!"

"Four." Saria calmly spoke as she slammed down four cards. "Everyone takes a card."

There was a collective groan as the losers picked a card from the deck.

"Hey, how come you aren't playing?" Sunny (who had been resting on Saria's shoulder) turned to see that Vaati was reading a book.

"Because as fun as that game is, if the person you are playing against keeps bribing you, than it loses it's interest." Vaati said without looking away and turned a page.

"Hey, I only did that twice!" Linebeck protested.

"Twice is enough when it comes to you. I prefer to learn from my mistakes." was the retort.

"I wish we could have bombchu bowling." Nabrooru cracked her neck. "We got almost 100 rupees in the pot, along with a membership card, a potion, and some weird looking green contraption with buttons that makes me think of that one map dude."

"I can't tell if the sun is setting or not." Aryll looked to the sky. "All those clouds are making it hard to- oh wait- I see the sky." She noticed that what could be seen of the sky had turned a slight darkish red/purple.

Just then, a white portal made up of runes suddenly appeared in the middle of the courtyard. "Hey, I think that's it!" Nabrooru pointed to the portal as she got up and dropped her cards. Everyone else followed suit, with the exception of Vaati, who stayed put, just in case.

"Oh thank Din!" Orik was the first to rush out of the portal, along with his men. "I'm sure glad to be back in an era without living in the sky or with some monster entity!"

"Agreed!" Sidian gave his full support, along with the others.

"Is that Orik?" Aryll hurried towards the Gorons, who were soon joined by the small group of Hylian Knights. Nabooru and Saria followed the princess, but the other two stayed behind.

"I'm not getting caught up in whatever is going on." Linebeck swore to Vaati as he crossed his arms and rested against a pillar.

"Home!" Karane cheered as she ran out and pulled Pipit by the hand. "Finally! I'm getting tired and I want a nap!"

"I think I'll miss that era." Groose admitted as he appeared beside the two. He looked up to see where they were. "At least we landed at the castle."

"Groose!" Aryll waved as she hurried towards the Hylian knights. "Hey!"

"We're going to have to tell her about the Triforce of Wisdom." Pipit muttered as Aryll finally stopped in front of them. "So how was it?" Aryll eagerly asked. "What's the past like?"

There was an uncomfortable silence amongst the Hylians and Gorons as they painfully recalled their respective experiences.

"Uh... Zelda picked someone up." Groose gave the portal an unpleasant look as the girl in question and her fairy companion stepped out, along with a certain lord. The second they left the portal, it immediately vanished into thin air, but it wasn't of any importance to the others.

"I guess we're the first." Proxy noticed as Aryll threw her arms out ran at Zelda before she drew her into a hug. "You're back!" Aryll cheered. "You're so lucky you got to travel into the past!"

"It's good to see you again, Aryll." Zelda beamed as the princess let go of her. Even if it hadn't been for too long, Zelda grew fond of the princess after spending more time with her. "Oh, and before I forget-" Zelda took out the baton and gave it to Aryll. "I needed this after all- thank you."

She then turned to Ghirahim: the spirit of the soon to be Master Sword saw the castle and seemed to be taken by it. He glanced around the courtyard as well, before he turned to Zelda. "So you have a castle?" He asked.

"We become a monarchy many years after the people return to the surface." Zelda explained. "Our kingdom is named Hyrule, after Hylia." She then turned to Aryll and grinned as she stepped back. "This is the Princess Aryll. Her brother is next to rule, after their uncle. If it wasn't for her knowledge about you, I don't think things would have been easier for any of us."

Ghirahim turned to the princess and bowed, out of respect. "It's an honor to meet you, your highness. I am known in my era as Lord Ghirahim."

Aryll let out a gasp. "Y-you-" She turned to Zelda, who nodded before turning back. "Oh my gosh!" She curtseyed to Ghirahim. "I know who you are! Our family kept your name carefully preserved, so it wouldn't be lost to history!"

Ghirahim was impressed by this. "So it appears I'm remembered in a positive light." He spoke. "I must say, I'm rather flattered."

"I'm glad were finally back." Zelda sighed. "Someone woke up Demise a little early and we were forced to fight him off."

Aryll's eyes became wide with fear at the thought of this. "But... how?" She asked. "And you would have needed the M-" she quickly stopped herself. "By the way," She changed the subject. "Everyone needs to go to the sacred temple tomorrow."

"Why is that?" Zelda asked, but then one of the Gorons shouted "Another one is coming!" She turned to see that a second portal formed, and she waited to see who would come out of the next one.

Like last time, the knights left the portal first. However, there was a noticeable difference.

"Oh goddesses above!" Ashei cursed as she blocked her eyes from the dim but somehow still bright light of the day. "It's bright! How is that possible?!" She asked as the other soldiers kept pouring out of the portal.

"We spent too long in that era." Koji already had a hand covering his eyes. "I wonder how our guests will take it."

"We're right here, you know."

Koji felt the urge to groan out as loud as he could and tried to fight it. "Why are you here again?"

"We want to help Zant find Midna and get back as soon as possible." Daphne told the Sheikah as Draco curled around her arm. "Isn't that right?" She turned to her sister, who carried Demi in her arms.

"Why are you here?" Ariadne asked Beliah, who came right behind the two. "We're enough as is."

"It's for my own reasons." Beliah cooly told the girl as her King, the bug fanatic, and the sorcerer stepped out of the portal. The portal vanished as Liam lead the other two through the knights, until hey could see the castle.

"Well, we're here." Liam began as he watched their reactions. "It's been almost a century and a half since the time of your era."

Zant stared at the castle: it looked slightly changed, but he recognized it all the same. He could remember getting into the castle with the resistance and his companion, and when he looked up, he could see the tower where he fought with his companion for the very last time. He thought he'd never see this place again, and it brought a slight pain when he realized that he was in an era where _she_ was long dead.

"Oh hey, it's the others!" Koji waved to the sky era travelers.

"I should check in with Liam." Zelda began to head over, but she cringed when she remembered something. "Oh..."

Liam saw Zelda, but when he saw that Ghirahim was with her, he felt his blood turn to ice. "Oh, son of a-" He fought the urge to curse. This was going to make things a _lot_ more difficult for everyone involved. As the girl, the princess, the Goron general, and the rest walked towards him, he tried his hardest to fight off his anger and all that came out was a dead calm.

"I see you didn't listen to me." He spoke.

"You didn't tell us someone could wake up Demise!" Groose angrily jumped in. "Considering things, _he_ ended up being a blessing in disguise!" He jabbed a thumb at Ghirahim, who shot the red head a bored look.

"You also didn't give us a way to get down from Skyloft, to the Sealed Grounds." Proxy added with a shudder. "We had to rely on the Great Fairy for that."

"The gate of souls was at the Sealed Grounds!" Karane added. "Why didn't you send us there?!"

"We had to face an evil ex-monarch." Reg butted in. "And a dragon, and a bunch of Twilis."

"Twilis?" Zelda suddenly perked up. Liam then remembered who was with him- there was now another pressing matter that needed to be attended to, and one that wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Zelda." He finally calmed down and grabbed Zelda's arm. "There's someone who might help us." He lead her to the very person who would need to see her.

It was around this time that Zant stopped listening to the arguments. The moment he heard that familiar name, he- along with Agitha- turned to face Liam and...

...no...

...It couldn't be...

"Zelda." Liam let go of Zelda and glanced to the stunned Zant as he began the introductions. "This is the Twili King, Zant. As you might recall, he added the Hero of Twilight many years ago."

Zelda was amazed at this. She knew who this was- she read the Hero's accounts of her adventures, but she still couldn't believe that she was getting to meet him face to face. "It's a great honor to meet you, Your Majesty." Zelda curtseyed as best as she could. "I'm sorry for any inconveniences we caused you."

When she finally stood back up, she glanced at Zant. For some reason, he seemed... disappointed with her. "I... like wise." He finally told her before he turned and walked away as fast as he could.

"Is something wrong?" Zelda was slightly offended by this. What did she do wrong?

 _Oh, there is._ Zant thought.

For one moment, it was her- her face was almost exactly the same and she even had the same hair style and almost dressed similar. And then the moment passed and he could see the differences: this girl had light blue eyes full of curiosity, rather than the blue-purple that contained a pain that turned to determination. _She_ had dark blonde- almost brown hair, but this girl's hair was almost yellow as a sol sphere.

She wasn't _her_.

"We... had some trouble." Liam lied as Agitha quietly watched the Twili king. "Ceiya resurrected Midna and she escaped from her era."

"Oh, well isn't that... lovely." Proxy sarcastically responded. "The next thing we know, the last group accidentally awoke some cosmic horror in their era."

"Hey, I didn't realize Ceiya would try to bring certain individuals to his side until it was too late!" Liam protested.

"Uh... about that." Zelda pinched her nose and prepared herself for the reaction before he glanced at Liam. "I... sent someone named Fi through the Gate of Souls."

Liam was quiet. Then slowly his mouth dropped and his eyes widened, before he bursted out "You did WHAT?!"

"She was going to kill him!" Zelda pointed to Ghirahim. "I had to do something!"

"You can't do that!" Liam yelled. "That girl was part of the reason you're even here in the first place!"

Zelda took a double take at this, as did a few others. Especially Ghirahim, whose interest in the blue haired sorcerer grew from indifferent, to highly curious. "What does that even mean?!" Zelda demanded.

"As much as I hate to remind-"

"General Impa is coming!" Koji yelled and pointed as a third portal appeared.

"Oh ye gods." Liam held his head in his hands. Any second, hell would break loose.

"Ten rupees says Shadow and Ghirahim start fighting." from a safe distance, Pipit held two blue rupees out.

"Twenty says they become fast friends." Sidian held a red rupee out.

"An even fifteen says nothing happens, because of how much stupidity were getting into." Groose held his hand out. "Might as well call it."

"One of them starts hitting on the other for twenty five rupees." Karane grinned as she held her hand out.

The others gave her a weird look.

"Hey, considering how things are, anything is possible." She shrugged.

With baited breath, the Sky era division waited for the inevitable. One by one the soldiers came out and the anticipation built up with each second.

"Hey, isn't that Kay's girlfriend?" Karane raised an eyebrow as said soldier was seen coming out of the portal with the young lady clinging to his arm, and both moved away from the portal as fast as they could.

Meanwhile, Captain Orik saw Geode come out and he felt as if his blood pressure was about to rise at seeing his brother. "I knew it." He muttered under his breath.

More (figurative) eyebrows were raised when Ruto came out of the portal, but the Gorons almost collectively felt as if time stopped when they saw a very familiar figure step out of the portal.

"No... way." Sidian's jaw dropped. "D...Darunia?"

Said famous Goron glanced back to the portal were two figures came out. The first person blocked the other from view, but he took the Hylian Knights completely off guard.

"Y-your Highness?!" Proxy gasped, as Zelda stared dumbstruck at the person in question.

Instead of the dark shadow creature with all the charisma of a sly, yet annoying fox, there was instead the blonde young man who disappeared many weeks ago.

Before any questions could be asked, one person rightfully beat them all: she darted right towards the prince with open arms as she cried out for joy: "BROTHER!"

Link immediately turned his attention to Aryll, and he responded by running towards her. Both siblings managed to bridge the gap and the younger of the two practically soared as she leapt at her brother before he could catch her and the impact almost knocked him over.

"Thanks the goddesses you came back!" Aryll was almost in tears. "I was starting to get scared that you wouldn't come back!"

"I told you that I'd come back." Link reassured her. "I kept my word."

Unknown to everyone, three individuals noticed a certain familiarity about the crown prince. While it was only a brief notice for Agitha, Zant couldn't help but notice just how much the young man looked identical to the prince of Hyrule from his era. Like the girl, this boy had a few slight differences, but it made Zant suspicious: it could not be a coincidence the two individuals looked exactly like the other two.

The other individual who recognized Link was Ghirahim, but it was more out of shock. "Hylia?" he asked almost to himself. He remembered all too well how Hylia appeared humble, yet majestic, and not only did the future ruler of this kingdom bear a more than passing resemblance, but he carried himself in an almost exact same way.

Unfortunately, when he noticed who was in the group that the young man briefly left- a woman who bore a familiar set of red eyes and dark skin- that was when everything went south.

"What is the meaning of this!" He demanded to Zelda as he pointed an accusing to Impa. "Of all the races to have survived into this age, why did it have to include Hylia's lapdogs?!"

The sole two Sheikah heard this, and Impa gave the sword spirit a dark glare as she walked straight at him. "What did you just call me?" She demanded.

Ghirahim glared at the Sheikah. "Your tribe's purpose should have ended centuries ago! And yet you still roam the earth!"

Liam cursed under his breath. Well- there went all hope of this going peacefully.

"Don't you dare call us lapdogs!" Koji immediately had his Naginata at Ghirahim's neck. "We have done far more more noble deeds for this kingdom than to be called such a derogatory term!"

"So!" Zelda frantically tried to speak to Link, in order to create some kind of diversion. "Where have you been all this time? We were worried for you!" She nervously darted her eyes at Impa, who was feet away from reaching Ghirahim, who shot Koji a rather nasty look.

"Actually, I was with you guys this whole time!" Link called out. "Shadow was just a disguise that I was using."

There was a dead silence amongst the Hylian knights who didn't go to the era of the Hero of Time.

"...You WHAT?!"

Link flinched when he saw a certain red head barrel his way through the knights and came charging right at him. "Ohhhh-" He knew what was coming, and not enough bracing could prevent him from a pair of hands grabbing his shoulders and shake him back and forth as violently as they could.

"YOU ALMOST KILLED US!" Groose yelled at Link as Aryll slowly backed away from the two. "WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT YOU, YOU IDIOT! _YOU INSULTED MY HAIR_!"

"I-am- re-al-y-so-o-r-ry-y-y!" Link's voice came out in quick staccatos with each violent shake.

"Thanks to you, the timeline's ruined!" Marsh yelled.

"WE HAD TO FACE DEMISE!" Karane angrily yelled.

"So... Link was Shadow." Pipit scratched his chin. "So much for getting all excited over seeing how two nut jobs would interact."

While most of the group was watching Link get his just punishment by Groose, Impa finally reached Ghirahim, though she had no clue that her division and everyone involved moved closer to get a good view of the action.

"Who are you to call us lapdogs of Hylia?!" Impa demand.

"Your kind has been among the most infernal to ever walk the earth!" Ghirahim was forgetting where he was as he snarled at the Sheikah. "You always make things much harder than they should be!"

"And how would you know that?" Ruto peered over Impa's shoulder in curiosity. "Not all Sheikahs are as bad as you make them out to be."

Ghirahim saw the Zora princess, and noticed that she looked familiar, but not in a pleasant way. "Did Faron actually manage to cross breed with the parella?" He asked her.

That made Ruto snap.

"How dare you compare us to that species, you nasty man! We are highly more evolved than they are!"

Ghirahim smirked. "I see that the old dragon's prideful arrogance was passed down."

"I'm not a dragon OR a parella, I'm a Zora!"

"Right, and I, dear girl, am a trident."

"Oh, that's it!" Ruto pushed Impa out of the way and threw her arms out. "If you are asking for a fight, you poor excuse of a jester, than I shall certainly give it to you."

"Oh, now that's more like it!" Ghirahim grinned as he summoned out his sword.

And so, while the Zora tried to drown the spirit with her water, another argument was about to develop.

"Oh- h-hey!" Geode nervously waved to Orik, who stormed up towards him. "H-how was-"

"I TOLD YOU TO STAY PUT AND YOU RAN OFF!" Orik snapped. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"

"Jackpot." Bethany grinned as she readied her picto box to capture Ghirahim as he tried to turn Ruto into thin slices of Zora meat, while everyone stayed a safe distance away from them.

"O-k-I g-et-it-l-et-me-e-go-o-Gro-o-o-ose!" Link pleaded as the red headed man kept shaking him.

"NOT UNTIL I FEEL GOOD!"

"So..." Sidian turned to Pipit and Karane. "Did... any of us win the bet?"

Liam surveyed everything as he felt a headache about to develop.

"I have yet another reason why I didn't want the past to meet with the present." He complained as he crossed his arms. He found himself wishing yet again he lived in one of the many other alternative universes where he could have dealt with another type of army. Heck, he could have taken the Great Fairy in, instead of any of these more insane individuals.

"Hey." Proxy flew to Liam. "You need help getting them quiet? I have something that'll get their attention."

The white sorcerer glanced to the fairy. "You do?"

"Yeah- I'd plug your ears if I were you. It's not going to be pretty."

Proxy took a mighty breath, puffed his chest out, and then let out what would later be deemed the most impressive, yet near ear bleeding induced sound during the entire quest from all members involved within hearing distance. A sound so mighty, that it would probably follow them to the graves and into eternity itself:

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

The very screechy voice that came out of the fairy had been enough to stop the fighting between the many. It was enough to make Groose let go of Link, who dropped to the ground in a great daze. it was enough to make Ruto fall out of her wave of water mid-attack and cover her ears as her opponent continued to hold his sword as he copied her. It was enough to shut Orik's angry rant to his brother (much to said brother's relief.)

Proxy turned to Liam, who slowly lowered his hands from his ears. "If any one else has something to complain about, then for the love of all that's sane, do it another time, when we aren't all bunched together!" Liam angrily yelled before turning to Proxy. "I can't believe I'm saying this... but thanks for that... _thing_."

Pleased with his work, Proxy flew back to Zelda.

"Now, considering our... additions." Liam carefully began. "I suppose I owe everyone an explanation and I am not going to re-tread on old information, in case you already told our guests. First off: Ceiya and I used to be the same person. I'm the physical representation of the light that was drawn out of him. So yes- I'm responsible for this whole mess as well as he is." He quickly held a hand up. "Please let me explain, I know you all are already wanting to ask questions."

"So... anyway." Liam took a deep breath- this part was going to be the worst part to explain. "Those gates were opened up for the retrieval of three soul fragments. My grandfather helped the previous hero seal away the owner of those fragments, with the fourth one sealed away by a certain weapon."

"The person... who split me and Ceiya in half..." _Calm down._ Liam told himself. _You know they aren't going to like this. "_ The person responsible is-"

-?-

"That son of a-" Ceiya reappeared at the temple in one piece, but his face still felt as if his skull had almost been fractured. "If I ever see that maniac again-" Ceiya grunted as he gingerly touched his face. "-I'll snap every bone in his boy in half!"

"The time has come." The deep voice that had been guiding Ceiya suddenly rang out.

No! This was too soon! Not when he still had the full power of the-

Ceiya suddenly felt a pain in his chest and clutched it, but he failed to contain the force burning inside him. The soul fragments ripped out of his body and he cried out as they rose into the dark sky and twisted overhead.

"I now have three fragments of my spirit. My power may not be whole, but my body is returned."

Ceiya clutched his chest as he could barely struggle to stand up. He stared wide eyed as the fragments twisted together over him and up on a spot above the steps, before they merged and burst into a red light that turned into a blinding white that forced the sorcerer to cover his eyes.

When Ceiya finally managed to open them, he saw a person standing before him- a person so dangerous, that Ceiya's immediate reaction was to summon out his scepter. "You-!" Ceiya gasped as his eyes narrowed.

Everything about the man spoke of a confidence, but there was something about his pose and his eyes that rang out with an animalistic fury burning under the surface that was waiting to be unleashed. The man's heavy armor and clothing hinted that he was a warlord who had seen many battles before, and yet the headdress in his wild red mane and the clawed gauntlets gave the man a noble, yet animalistic look. His features gave away his Gerudo heritage, but those yellow eyes that burned with something far more dangerous. It was as if Ceiya was standing before Demise himself, and yet it was almost fitting, considering _who_ this man was.

"Ganondorf Dragmire." Ceiya cooly greeted as he winced. "I see you didn't like being cooped up within me. Did you grow annoyed with the fact that you couldn't kill your oldest enemies?"

"Ceiya, you have been my favorite puppet yet." Ganondorf's deep voice was unnaturally calm. "I gave you my power, which you heavily relied on-"

"I am NO ONE'S puppet!" Ceiya scowled. "If anything, YOU were the one who relied on my power to restore you!"

The demon thief let out an amused chuckle. "Whatever the case, our... alliance is over. I will break the final barrier myself." He raised his arm up and an orange searing flame flared up.

"This body lacks its full potential." Ganondorf said as he reared his arm, before slamming the flame into Ceiya. The young man had barely any time to react as the flames rammed into his body and burned him until he collided into the doors of the room. Within seconds, the flames turned into chains and bound Ceiya to the door.

"But that will change..." Ganondorf raised his arms out as an unholy flame rose around him. Ceiya struggled to escape his bounds as the demon thief drew closer towards him, but he felt his hand forced open and felt the beautiful radiance of the three golden triangles escape his body. They hovered mockingly within inches of his hand.

"...Once I wrest the Triforce from you and conquer all!"

This was not fair- he had come so far to acquire this power. He still had yet to gain the body and soul of the hero forever reincarnated. That beautiful golden girl with the sky blue eyes- the one forever tied to that bland, infernal young man-

"The Triforce..." Ceiya growled in anger as his own magic built up inside of him. With the last bit of amplification the Triforce provided him, Ceiya burst free from his chains. "SHALL BE MINE!" He roared as he rushed towards Ganondorf at an almost break neck pace and swung out.

Ganondorf's retaliation happened so fast, that Ceiya had no clue what he did- only that he was sent sprawling right into the corner of the room on his stomach, like a common snake.

This only added to Ceiya's anger. His desperation turned to a need to spite the demon who passed his hatred onto Hyrule without end. With a triumphant grin, Ceiya opened his hand to reveal that he still possessed the Triforce for a few moments, before sending them out into the sky.

Ganondorf took only a second to realize that he had been tricked- and thwarted.

"What?!"

It didn't stop there- the purple chains now encircled Ganondorf and Ceiya stumbled to get back up on his feet. "I gave back Courage and Wisdom to their owners." Ceiya let out a maniacal giggle before opening his hand to reveal that the Triforce of Power was still in his possession.

And with the very object that not only signified Ganondorf's strongest straight, but was also the very foundation of his greed and claim, Ceiya sent Ganondorf into a portal that appeared under his feet. The Demon thief could do nothing but yell in anger as he was sent down.

"Oh, I so do love the irony of using your share of the Triforce to cast you out." Ceiya spat as he continued to hold up the Triforce of power. "But I WILL reclaim the Triforce. It shall be mine alone!" He added as the portal vanished from the temple.

A quiet peace once again returned... as did Ceiya's drive to claim what he desired. Only the lovely porcelain face and eyes that rivaled the majesty of the blue Nayru could wash away the lingering recollection of the man that Ceiya now had power over. He had bested Ganondorf within seconds, when it took armies years, and a few select young chosen ones days and a few helping accomplices.

"I am going to claim the hero for myself, without your help." Ceiya swore. "And I am not going to let her green knight have her in this era, even if it kills me."

-Hyrule Castle-

There was a dead silence. Some faces seemed indifferent, others seemed concerned, and others were in absolute shock.

Liam waited to see who would react first. The person in question was one of the many who were the most confused.

"That can't be right!" Ruto was flabbergasted. "We defeated him and he was executed!"

"Except your sages lied to you."

All eyes turned to the Twili, and their king who seemed calm, though a little displeased. "He had the Triforce of Power at that time and as he was too powerful for them to kill off, they carelessly sent him to our realm."

"Yeah, like we were one big wastebasket!" Daphne angrily added. "Thanks a lot for that, by the way!"

"This is why you should have let me kill Ceiya in the first place!" Nabooru yelled.

"If what you said was true, then why would you willingly allow Ganondorf back into our world, despite what could of happened?" Koji glared at Liam, though he was not alone- almost all of the current generation were either horrified or incredibly angry.

"Actually, that's a good question!" Nabooru spat. "You said that this was all because of some person that Ceiya was after right? A soul that keeps getting reincarnated? Who, in all that's sane, would make a man so lovesick that he would ruin our timeline and bring back the very person that almost drove my clan to extinction?!"

This was the last thing Liam wanted to happen. "That's not important-" He tried to say but the knights interrupted him.

"NO! People probably died because of this guy!"

"Why didn't you just move onto another chick?!"

"Who's to say that the reason for his psychotic crush isn't worse?!"

"She's not!" Zant suddenly yelled out before turning to Zelda and his voice became eerie and calm. "Isn't she, White Sorcerer?"

Zelda felt all eyes turn to her. It took a moment for the words to sink in, and she didn't know if she was willing to believe it until she saw that Liam was giving her a strange look of discomfort and he bit his lip as he tried to look away from her.

"Is... is that true?" Zelda asked. She did not want to believe that all those villagers who were attacked, the state of the kingdom, and the fact that time almost became altered was because of this. The idea of Ceiya harboring any sort of affection towards her made her skin crawl. Unfortunately, Liam finally turned his head back and took a deep breath as he replied:

"Yes. Your soul stood out to Ceiya and as he saw all that you went through and how you continued on despite the hardship, he fell in love with you. The fact that every one of your previous incarnations was tied to another soul was what started the jealousy that caught Ganondorf's attention."

And that was when Zelda felt everything being drained out, and yet it all made sense. The fact that Volga and Fi were given orders not to kill her, despite that she no longer served any use was proof to that.

And that was when she realized why Zant acted so strange around her, and why she was able to pull the pre-Master Sword blade out of the pedestal in Skyloft.

She wanted to be alone, more than anything. She could feel the world stop, and she needed to get away from their gazing eyes.

Wordlessly, Zelda walked away from the large army. She could feel their stares at her back, and she didn't even bother to look at them- she didn't want to see those eyes looking at her with unfamiliar recognition or pity.

"Zelda?" Liam asked. When the girl didn't turn or respond, he knew the worst was going to happen. "Zelda, wait!" He began walking towards her, even when none did.

"There's a secluded courtyard if you need to be alone." Vaati quietly spoke to Zelda as she passed him: the sorcerer watched from a distance, and he knew with one look that the girl needed her privacy. Unfortunately, Liam didn't consider this and began to run towards her.

As Zelda picked up her pace, her hand suddenly tingled with a familiar warmth. She held it out and saw that the familiar mark of the Triforce was glowing was again.

Elsewhere, Link held his hand up, and he was stunned to see the mark of the Triforce. Those closest to him saw this too, and it was Bethany who spoke out. "Uh- Liam?!"

"Look, I'm sorry!" Liam spoke as he hurried to catch up to Zelda. "There was a reason I couldn't tell you! I thought we would defeat Ceiya before this all could happen!"

The moment she heard his voice, Zelda felt anger at Liam. He deliberately withheld this information, when she could have used it to the benefit of the others. Now everything was a wreck and it was his fault. "I could have stopped this if you told me!" Zelda snapped. "Just leave me be- I don't want to speak with you right now!"

"Zelda, please!" Liam reached out and grabbed her hand. His touch was unwelcome, and something inside Zelda burned as the mark began to glow.

"I SAID LEAVE ME BE!" Zelda snapped with a fierce rage as she not only wrenched her hand from his, but a burst of yellow light suddenly escaped from her and knocked Liam a good twenty feet away from her within seconds.

Liam crashed to the ground as everyone watched on. Some knew all too well what just happened, while others wondered _what_ exactly happened and couldn't believe their eyes.

Zelda was not surprised- she already knew the power of the Triforce- and she turned and continued her journey to somewhere quiet. However, she wondered why she suddenly had her part of the Triforce back and rubbed the back of her hand with her thumb as both hands were clutched together.

"Well-" Ashei finally spoke out. "Look's like we're all screwed."

-sometime later-

Zelda was not the only one who needed time to come to terms with what was happening.

"We have to leave." Kay told Rosette.

"We can't abandon our kingdom!" Rosette protested. "After all we've done?!"

"Hyrule is cursed Rose!" Kay threw his arms out. "Let's leave and go somewhere else- anywhere away from all this time and reincarnation and who-knows what!"

"And what would make any other place safer than Hyrule?" Rosette asked. "What makes Holodrum or the islands any better?"

Kay sighed and crossed his arms. "I... I'm just tired of us getting caught up with the likes of evil sorcerers and ruined timelines."

On the other hand, there were more light hearted events that started to occur- especially with the siblings.

"Thanks for not telling them." Link hugged Aryll again. "I'm sorry I had you worried."

"You should be!" Aryll was upset, but her happiness quickly ame back. "I'm just glad you kept your promise."

"Same here." Link agreed as he let go of Aryll. He took off his gauntlet and examined a familiar birthmark that had been covered up. "I wonder how I got that back." He was almost considering asking Liam, when Aryll suddenly nudged him in the stomach with her elbow and pointed at something. He looked up to see that odd looking man who got on Impa's nerves.

"The Sheikah have served the Royal family ever since Hyrule was established." Link tried to explain to Ghirahim. "They never stopped serving Hylia, even when he became a mortal, and it just continued to his descendants, despite that he owed them for all they did."

The man was giving Link a very odd look that was torn between confusion and disappointment. "Is... is something wrong?" Link asked.

Ghirahim sighed. "Why am I not surprised. Of course Hylia's lineage would rule over his people."

"You must have come from Skyloft." Link realized, before asking. "How exactly did you-"

"You look almost exactly like him." Ghirahim confessed. "Although he was far superior in that regard." He added.

While the siblings enjoyed a brief conversation with the lord, Impa, Saria, and Nabooru were with Darunia and Ruto. Both of them were rather disheartened after the turn of events.

"She went though so much for us." Darunia spoke as he sat cross legged. "We went through a war, and we lost a tribe. We finally won, and now we're told that he's still alive."

"How long has this gone on?" Ruto asked Impa as she hugged her legs to her chest. "How long has he been alive?"

Impa hated to do this. She didn't want to say it, but Nabooru bitterly answered for her. "There's been four cases where Hyrule's history had a Ganondorf involved with the conquest of the kingdom. I wouldn't be surprised if it's been the same monster each time."

"It hasn't been that bad." Saria admitted as she squatted sat next to Darunia, while Sunny flew next to her head. "He's always been beaten each time by a hero. Now he's got a whole army to deal with."

"But why?" Ruto asked as she looked up. "Why does it always happen? What did we- what did our descendants do to deserve all of this?"

"I honestly don't know why." Impa admitted. "Even the most likely reason would be petty in comparison to a guess."

Liam saw that Zant was standing by one of the trees in the courtyard as Agitha eagerly turned her attention to the butterflies that were flying by the flowers that surrounded them. The sorcerer cautiously walked towards the two and noticed that Zant was still gazing at the castle with an unreadable expression.

"Look," Liam began as soon as he was close enough. "I did warn you. The Zelda of this era _is_ your era's Zelda, but it's only the same soul..." He crossed his arms as guilt flooded him. "I'm really sorry. I should have warned you better."

"How did she die?" Zant finally asked as Agitha turned her attention towards the two men.

Liam knew who he was talking about and frowned. "Are you sure you want to know that?"

"I'll find out eventually."

Liam ran a hand through his hair as memories of history came to him all too easily. "She died at 62 from an illness that's easily curable in this era- it wasn't back then. But it was a peaceful death." He tried to add.

Zant remained silent.

Liam continued on. "Your Zelda was knighted by the King and bestowed with the title of The Hero of Twilight. Her reincarnation is the Zelda you just saw, but her great great grandchildren are the Crown prince and the princess of Hyrule. I know that's kind of strange, considering-"

It was at this that Zant suddenly gave his full attention to Liam. "So... her husband was the King of Hyrule?" He asked in disbelief.

Liam smiled and turned to walk away, but then he heard the King burst out into a fit of laughter. He turned back and saw that Zant had a hand to his face as Agitha approached him and stood by his side. It sounded like the Twili was laughing, but it was as if he was about to cry at the same time.

"I guess I kept my end of the bargain after all, Lady Wolf!" He croaked through his laughter and snickered. "You _naughty_ girl!" He laughed even harder.

Liam watched long enough for Agitha to wordlessly put her hand on Zant's arm, and the king held the young noble-girl close to him as he continued to laugh out of humor and out of sorrow for the lost friend. Liam could only give the man a painful smile before moving on to see who else needed clarification.

It was around this time that Link decided he had to do something important.

"Excuse me, I got to go." Link moved away from his sister. "I need to check on something."

"What should I tell uncle?" Aryll asked as she waved her arm out at the army that was lounging on their 'front yard'.

"He probably knows by now." Link lazily waved a hand in the air as he walked away. "He'll just have to get some guest rooms ready for the more special guests."

-?-

Zelda sat at the steps of a small courtyard where a moat circled around a path of earth, flowers, and trees. The most noticeable trait was a a plaque that was under the window that the stairs lead up to.

 _Though we cannot always be together in life, our bonds are stronger than time itself._ It said. _The journeys we took, the moments we shared, and all the sacrifices we made will be the proof of our union. We shall forever be one, and those who were lost to time's cruelty shall forever be in our hearts. We shall meet again, be it in one life or the next._

Zelda ran a hand through her hair as her body slunk lower to her knees. The plaque was some sort of commemoration or memorial between the King and Queen of a past era. To her, it just seemed like another ridiculous reminder of the revelations of today.

She was once the Hero of Time. She was once the young woman who wrote down about a world in eternal twilight and it's king. She was once the girl who pulled the soon-to-be Master Sword out of the pedestal in the hidden chamber- until she ironically beat her to it.

And now, a maniac had split his soul in half, awakened an ancient evil, and destroyed the timelines- all in her name.

What did this mean for her? What could she do next? She could give herself up and end this now, but what would she lose? What would Ceiya gain?

Why did she have to be destined to be part of an endless cycle? Why her?

"Hey princess."

Zelda looked up to see Link standing at the entrance to the courtyard. Almost a split second later, the young man cringed and slapped his face.

"Sorry- it's hard to break that habit." He apologized as he walked over. For need of a change of topic, he looked around the courtyard. "You know, this courtyard was where my ancestor proposed to the Hero of Time. He said this place was special to the both them."

He finally crossed over and sat on the steps beside Zelda. Carefully, he took out the dark mirror and examined it. "I'm sorry. I could have helped to prevent this, but it was hard to get away from being Shadow."

"Why?" Zelda asked.

"Well, the mirror was drawn to my negative qualities." Link began. "Everything that was bad or suppressed almost completely overtook my personality. When I was Shadow, I felt a lot more cocky, and I could get annoyed more often. My body was trapped in the mirror, while my consciousness was mixed with the darkness. I could have easily pulled myself out, but it was hard to, because I enjoyed being powerful, with little restraint. It was like an alcoholic around wine or ale."

"There's a belief that our souls have five separate parts that make up who we are." Link added. "The worst one is the one we try to suppress- the 'shadow' of ourselves- but even that part of me still loved my sister. I want to believe that I am stronger to resist the temptation to completely give in to my darker urges, because of that."

"Unlike Ceiya." Zelda murmured. As Link put the mirror away, she finally asked:

"Do _you_ think I'm the same Zelda from those other eras?" She closed her eyes. "Each of those Zeldas were far superior than me in their own right- and Ceiya thinks we are one and the same. I was even able to pull the Master Sword out before it became the Master Sword!" She threw her arms out.

"Hey, it's not your fault." Link spoke. "None of it is. Ceiya is in love with an idea- not the actual you. If anything, the person who is supposedly always tied to you is the one who should worry about him."

Zelda remained silent.

"I'm going to let you be." Link finally got up. "I just wanted to check on you..." He looked at her. "But if you ever need someone to talk to, I'll listen. I may be an arrogant idiot, but I'm willing to lend an ear to someone who needs it."

Zelda managed a small smile. "I'd appreciate that."

Link grinned. "Any time princes-" He cringed. "I am really sorry."

"It's fine." Zelda shook her head.

Link then grew curious. "Do- do you miss Shadow?" He asked. "If you want to see him again, I can always-"

"I don't." Zelda stood up and smirked. "Because Shadow is a part of you. Why miss what's still here?"

There was a glint in Link's eyes and for one second Zelda swore she saw the dark being within as he gave her a mischievous smirk. "Well- I guess I should keep that in mind for later."

-meanwhile-

"I know how to fix this." Saria pulled out an ocarina. "Music always solved everything for me." The small group turned their heads as the girl, as she brought the instrument to her lips and she began to play a tune.

A very familiar tune.

"That song!" Darunia's head shot up from his hand and his eyes grew wide. "That's-!" He laughed out in joy. "It still lives!" He then catapulted up onto his feet and suddenly began to dance.

The others slowly backed aways as the Goron kicked his legs and flapped his arms out as he spun in half circles.

"Some things don't change." Ruto chuckled.

Geode watched on from a distance, as did the many other Gorons. Orik walked up to his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Look," he began. "I'm sorry- but your my flesh and blood brother. I didn't want you to do something stupid that would effect us all."

"It's fine Orik." Geode placed a hand over Orik's. "You know- for all the time I complained about being thrown into this war, I'm glad there was something worth being a part of it. Especially me."

Orik smiled. "Well then, Mr. Reckless- are you going to introduce us to Darunia?"

"Really?!" Geode turned in eager excitement.

While Saria's song was lively and caused happiness, it made one individual rather irritated, and for a good reason.

"I forgot how much I hate that song." Zant quietly hissed. "It figures a part of that annoying creature lived well into this era."

"Do you want to throw a tantrum and throw a rock at the child?" Beliah dryly asked as she walked up to her king. "That would be a dumb action, considering how easily these light dwellers can get into a fight."

"I'm not a child." Zant snapped at the female Twili.

"Your just upset because it's another reminder of your time with _her_ , isn't it?"

Zant was about to retort, but he gave up. "The faster we can find Midna, the quicker we can return to our world." Was all he could manage to say. "If you have to go out and search the land without me, then you may do as you wish."

"And what about the pink lady who looks like your friend?" Agitha peaked from behind Beliah. "You can't hide like a snail retracting into it's shell forever, Sir Knight."

As to that... he had no idea what to do. For all her eccentric airs, the girl had a point.

At this point, there was a... _significant_ amount of Gorons dancing along with Darunia. Or to be more accurate, they were serving as back up dancers to the chieftain, and proving that genetics ran deep amongst their kind.

And as if someone said 'to heck with it' Aaron was playing a guitar as back up to Saria.

After Bethany took a shot of the scene, she noticed the pale ash colored man who was still with the princes. The gears began to run in her head and a big grin crossed her face as she approached the pre-Hyrulean character.

"Hi!" She innocently chirped as she walked towards Ghirahim. "I have a question: are you familiar with the term... picto-genic?"

Ghirahim shot the girl a confused look as the Princess Aryll shot a troubled, yet amused look at Bethany. "No. What does that mean?"

Bethany's grin widened as she snatched Ghirahim's arm with her hand. "You're coming with me!" She declared as she pulled him towards the era of the Hero of Time group.

"You're coming with me!" Bethany grabbed Ruto by the arm with her free arm and pulled her off the ground.

"Where are you taking me?" Ruto demanded. "And why is that infernal man with you?" She shot a glare at Ghirahim, who returned the same mutual glare.

"You too- you're coming with me!" Bethany chirped and grabbed Agitha with her free hand and pulled her away from the Twili's (who were still discussing how to find Midna.)

"What are you doing?!" Ghirahim demanded. "What does that foreign word mean?!"

It was at that moment, right before Bethany pulled her group away, the sword spirit and the Twili King noticed each other.

 _Wasn't that the rude being from earlier?_ Zant wondered. _There's something unnatural about the magic around him. And why does he look so... feminine?_

 _Did Faron produce yet_ another _race that looked like her?_ Ghirahim wondered. _And why is his presence unfamiliar to me?_

"The quickest way to getting people to get over their hatred of each other is though something they might like!" Bethany almost sang as she dragged her group off. _That and I just hit the jackpot with more people to take pictures of._ She mentally snickered. _Especially a Zora royal from the past and whoever this strange guy is._

"We have a lot to do tomorrow." Impa surveyed the group as she stood by Liam. "I hope we can reduce the time we have to take in order to accomplish it."

"Is there anything else we need to know?" Proxy demanded to Liam. "There better not be anymore secrets. We barely survived today, after all we had to go through."

"There isn't." Liam admitted. "From now on, it would be my other half who knows what's going on."

Proxy suddenly bobbed up and down. "Oh! Zelda, you're back!" He cheered.

Liam turned and saw that the prince and Zelda were approaching him. Even if he didn't mean to, Liam felt a pang of jealousy towards Link- because he was once one with Ceiya, they shared similar interests and this unfortunately did extend to the lovely blonde girl. Unlike his counterpart, he had done his hardest not to make this unrequited feeling a big deal, but it was still hard to fight it.

However, she was finally able to look him in the eyes, and it both scared and relieved the white sorcerer.

"So." Zelda spoke. "What do we do next?"

Liam smiled a little, before he spoke up. "Unfortunately, we are going to have to take a big risk. Ceiya is going to be powerful and he knows that we will have to make this next move, but what we need will give us an advantage over him, since he is my darker half."

"Do you remember what you told me in the woods?" Link asked Zelda. "How you wanted to wield the Master Sword?"

The second she heard this, it took a moment for those words to sink in. "So... I must-"

"Yes." Liam nodded. "It's time for a new hero to reawaken the Master Sword."

* * *

-outtake -

-Yes, even the big man isn't an exception to this-

"But that will change..." Ganondorf raised his arms out as an unholy flame rose around him. Ceiya struggled to escape his bounds as the demon thief drew closer towards him, but he felt his hand forced open and felt the beautiful radiance of the three golden triangles escape his body. They hovered mockingly within inches of his hand.

"...Once I wrest the Triforce from you-"

"Oh... sweet... Din!"

The unholy flames died and the two turned their heads to see a certain picto happy archer. She had her eyes on Ganondorf, and they were wider than the moon (evil and about to be brought down to earth or not.)

"Goddesses above!" Bethany almost squealed as her voice raised up a few pitches. "He's PERFECT! LOOK AT THAT PERFECTION! The armor, the chiseled features, that glorious mane! I must capture it!" Bethany took her pictograph out.

"... _How_ _in Din's name did you get here_?!" Ceiya was very dumbfounded. The awe struck girl ignored him as her eyes hungrily devoured Ganondorf, while said man hesitated in trying to figure out what to do with her.

"I'll make a s*** load of rupees off your pictures! No-wait!" Bethany then had an eager, crazed look in her eye as she pointed to Ganondorf. "Take your armor off!"

"...What?" He could only manage to speak out.

"I need to see if the inside is as good as the package!" She pleaded as she curled her fingers and shook her hands.

"Are you mentally disturbed?" Ganondorf could ask.

"Don't deny me what's in the package! TAKE IT OFF!" Bethany roared

POOF! The writer suddenly appeared in the chamber. "I'll fix this for ya!" The writer grinned as she typed in something in her laptop.

-minutes later-

Bethany was lying on the ground as if knocked over. Her arms were sprayed out, her pictobox was lying askew, and her eyes seemed to be crying out blood. Her face and clothing were stained by the blood that came out of her nose, but that was another story.

"...I... think... I'm blind." Bethany slowly spoke. "But... those abs... that nice _bod_... _So-"_ She pervertedly giggled. "-Worth it... ugh." She collapsed.

A large pool of blood laid at the feet of a topless Ganondorf and a still chained to the door Ceiya. The poor sorcerer was scrawny in comparison to the might of the Demon Thief's well toned chest, muscle, and abs, and he now knew it.

"...Congratulations." Ganondorf slowly clapped. "You just proved that lust is the ultimate downfall of the idiotic. If this is how much Hyrule has changed, then I think I will prevail over the narrow minded fools."

* * *

The outtake was inspired by a comic on DeviantArt by YAMsgarden called 'topless 1:3' which is possibly the only case in which I found myself attracted to Ganondorf (and there are a few other villains from HW in the comics, if you want something more to your liking.)

I'm starting to question if having the Twili OCs permanently on the team is a good thing, because now there's more characters than I can keep track of and I almost forgot about Proxy. It's now a question of who should keep sticking with the main group and who should fall back for awhile, so you guys should start telling me if you want less characters. (I am planning to make Vaati and Aryll have a slightly bigger role for the next chapter, until they disappear for awhile- and yes, this time I can have a more active use for them within that chapter.)

Question: is the temple of the sacred sword supposed to be near Hyrule Castle, or is it elsewhere? I'm having trouble figuring it out, and especially for the next chapter. Any who, I'm aiming for a specific release date for the next chapter in Spetember. It's related to why that date is important, and what happens in the chapter.


	12. She who wields the sword

**PsycoFangirl: "Cosmic Horror" refers to Gigyas, right?**

 **mysteriousguy898: Bethany DIDN'T take nudes of Ghirahim and Ruto. She might like taking pictures, but she won't stoop that low... oh wait, Ruto didn't wear clothes to begin with... huh. I guess Bethany took nudes after all?**

 **Skyward Wind: Epona is due to make another appearance, but it won't be until the third section of this series. We are still in the second third (The third part will start when we see the return of Fi and Midna.)**

 **Hey guys, I'm sorry it took so long. August was very hectic- a lot happened, and among the following was that I got to finally see Phantom of the Opera in San Francisco for my birthday, which was amazing- like I was in a dream that I didn't want to wake up from. They changed a few things to the production, but it was really cool, and Chris Mann played the title character and I was able to get his autograph. (Read the intro to chapter's 7 and 8 of Time's Trade to see a more enthusiastic HolyMaiden24 get excited about this, to the point of making a very special birthday outtake involving the title song.)**

 **This chapter wasn't completely fun to do, with a few exceptions (I kind of hate how long this level takes in the game). I admit that things changed and I feel like I can write more, but it's getting to the point where I feel it it's better if I update this fic at least once a month. However, I have to finish this because I want to honor my duties as a writer and complete what has been started.**

 **Of course, if you've been following me, you'll notice what I've been getting myself into, and some of you are probably angry at me for it. I want to keep promises, but even I'm prone to faults: I might somehow end up finishing Time's Trade before this, but I don't want to even try to start any future Zelda projects until I finish both that and this fic. I would only do something like, say a Minish Cap AU, if enough people showed interest in it (that means that I need to get a certain amount of reviews with a mention of if you want this to happen or not, and I can't tell you the number I have in mind for that). I would rather be honest with all of you, instead of playing with your expectations and appealing to only a few people.**

 **Please forgive me. If not, I understand.**

 **Anyway, I was hoping to post this on the anniversary of when Skyward Swaps first came out, but I decided that I kept you guys waiting for too long.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: She who wields the sword**

The one person who should have been the most guarded by the others was currently doing research in the dead of night: Zelda had pulled up as many images as she could, and even the many books of the past heroes to make sure that what was said was true.

Color pictographs showed Queen Zelda- Hero of Twilight- in her youth with her foster family, the resistance, or with her future husband and family. Sepia toned pictographs showed Zelda the Hero of Time, from childhood to old age, with only a few commissioned paintings (one of which featured her with the King of Hyrule, who became her husband and the father to her own children). Lastly, there were only artistic depictions of Hylia's Champion during her adventures, or just as herself and most of them featured either a red hilted or a now familiar black hilted sword...

There were differences, but there were also uncanny similarities- in fact, Zelda saw that she was almost an exact twin to the Hero of Twilight herself. No _wonder_ Zant acted so off around her: he might as well have been seeing a ghost.

"You should be in bed." Zelda turned to see Vaati, who silently observed what she was doing behind her shoulders. "You of all people need their rest, yet I see that you have things on your mind." He nodded to the drawings and the books.

"I just..." Zelda trailed off as she looked at the drawings of Hylia's Champion again, and the sword in her hand.

Goddesses- was the Master Sword a mere corpse now? A ghost? Everything had changed in one day, and that included her perceptions on even the sword itself.

Not only that, but that meant that there was going to be a lot of explaining to do to a certain sword spirit if things fell into the worst case scenario.

"I should warn you that I will be temporarily joining you tomorrow." Vaati told her. When Zelda looked back in confusion, he explained. "The Princess is the barrier maiden for the Temple of the Sacred Sword. It's my duty to look out for her, in addition to making sure that she actually learns to protect herself. She's improving, but I wouldn't trust her to go against these threats just yet."

He took a book out of his robes and handed it to her. "I had to sneak some things out of my personal library: I didn't want my 'roommates' to snoop through them."

"Which ones?" Zelda asked as she took the book and glanced at the title: it was the Hero of Twilight's personal accounts.

"I'm stuck with a narcissist and a being who thinks that he can 'out-magic' me, so to say." Vaati bit his lip. "The sooner I can kick them out, the happier I can be."

Zelda laughed at the idea of Ghirahim and Zant together in one room. Especially how they appeared to be almost exactly alike in their personalities.

 **-Vaati's room-**

Ghirahim looked at the Twili in faint interest from where he lounged on the sofa. Zant was trying to go through the sorcerer's books to see if there was anything of use or interest, but he suspected that the purple haired man took them away or carefully hid them somewhere.

"So your a king from another dimension?" Ghirahim finally asked.

"That is correct." Zant confessed. "The Twili realm houses those who once walked this earth as practitioners of magic."

"Never heard of them."

"I wouldn't be surprised, considering how little the world knew about us in my era."

"Mine wouldn't be of any interest, beyond that it pre-dates Hyrule. Everyone is still living up in the sky."

Zant almost dropped his book when he heard this. "What did you say?!" He spun around with a look of recognition.

"Everyone lives in the sky where I come from." Ghirahim replied as he raised a non-existent eyebrow. "Maybe you've heard of Skyloft?"

"I... I think I did." Zant recalled all too well what happened in the City of the Sky.

"Is that important in anyway?"

"N-no." Zant shook his head and waved a hand. "It's nothing. Tell me- what are you supposed to be? There's nothing Hylian about you."

"You could say that I am a demon, but in truth, I am actually a sword spirit." Ghirahim grinned. "Want to see my real form?"

"Your... what?" Zant was confused.

Ghirahim suddenly rammed a hand into his body and Zant watched with a disturbed fascination as a black sword with a red stone came out of the man's body. With a triumphant grin that was crossed with a pained wince, Ghirahim held the blade skyward. "Lovely isn't it? It'll belong to the one who will become my Mistress, give or take a few years. That charming blonde commander somehow pulled it out though, so the joke's on Hylia for not making a proper seal." He let out a laugh at this.

Zant felt like he really needed a drink after that revelation about his new companion. He reached for the wine bottle that Vaati provided and was about to pour himself a good one into a nearby class cup when Ghirahim cut in-

"What? You find out that I'm a sword and the first thing you do is take it in with a drink?"

"After all that I've been through today, I could consume the whole contents of the bottle." Zant admitted as he finished pouring the amount he wanted and began to drink it down.

"Well, I suppose I should join you then." Ghirahim set the God's Sword aside, got of the sofa, and moved to the wine. "I too might have a reason to take a pleasing medicinal drink, after all that's happened to me today."

Zant had a strange feeling that the two of them would become friends by the time the night was over.

 **-library-**

"You don't want them to find out about their futures, do you?" She asked.

Vaati's eyes became downcast. "I was once friends with Ceiya when we were children. He showed me the timelines as for his own personal fun- I think he must have hated me for something I've done. I saw things that I wished that I hadn't found out. Some things are just better to remain in the dark, instead of finding out the truth."

"What does that mean?" Zelda asked.

"It's one thing to know about your future." Vaati's eyes darkened. "It's another to find out that you become a monster in one of the timelines. I doubt they would want to find out something similar or worse than that."

 **-the next day-**

The Temple of the Sacred Sword was a special location hidden away in the mountains that overlooked the great sea. To reach there, one needed to be transported through a special circle of magic that was only capable by a member of the Royal Family.

"Oh no!" Orik quickly denied and backed away. "We had enough of that yesterday! My men can guard the Castle Town, just to be safe."

The other Gorons were in agreement. The Sky era division couldn't blame them.

"Hey, where's that Gerudo chick?" Groose looked around. "Come to think of it, where's the green haired girl? Weren't they together?"

"I'm not taking risks with Nabooru." Liam held a small vial up. "I had to get Saria to put a sleeping drug in her morning drink."

"She could help us." Karane somewhat reluctantly told Liam.

"She's rash, and she would get us in trouble if she saw Ganondorf." Ashei flatly told Karane. "It doesn't matter if he's back or not- that woman is a disaster waiting to happen."

Zelda, Impa, Link, and Liam already discussed the case of the Triforce of Wisdom and Courage returning to their owners the previous night. It was a slight cause for concern, but they decided to continue on as if things hadn't changed. There was no telling if this was trick on Ceiya's part or not.

And yet, it was hard for Zelda to get over her anger at Liam for what he hadn't told her. Maybe some day, but for now, she would have to put on a face for everyone's sakes.

Meanwhile, Zant was speaking to the Twili's.

"It should be easy to recognize her magic, but if you can't find her by the time the sun sets, come back as soon as you can."

"It's worth a shot." Ariadne agreed.

"Apparently, he want's to help out." Daphne jammed a thumb at Koji, who merely replied. "I think there's more than enough people heading to the Temple to begin with. What's one more for your search?"

"I don't think it's going to be possible." Beliah crossed her arms as her long hair swayed behind her. "This world is far bigger than we could even imagi-"

"And yet, you know that she would very much like to kill me." Zant placed a hand on Beliah's shoulder, and the woman suddenly let out a startled gasp at the intimate touch from her king. "I doubt she would leave Hyrule, when she has much advantages in her favor this time."

Beliah finally relaxed and grabbed her King's hand over her shoulder. "Whatever happens... don't do something reckless." She pleaded.

Zant gave the woman an appreciative smile before his helmet came back on and let go of the woman. "But of course- as long as none of you do the same."

Meanwhile, Princess Aryll nervously gulped as all eyes were watching her, from both the past and present.

"It's fine, your highness." Vaati tried to reassure the girl. "This magic flows through you. Pretend that we are voices in the back of your mind, but focus within."

Aryll smiled with a nod and walked a few steps away from the group. Once there, she closed her eyes and held out the baton and waved it as she began to chant an ancient tongue that only a very select few could recognize.

"Well, we all had fun." Bethany grinned to Geode as she handed a picture to him. "Seeing as you have an eye for the zora princess, I thought I'd give you something on the house."

To Geode's embarrassment (and the other Goron's amusement) it was a rather well taken picture of Ruto. When the Zora royal realized what Bethany wanted to do, she willingly complied in showing her beauty off in all it's well angled glory. (and it was easily the same with Ghirahim.)

"I have more angles of her." Bethany whispered her promise to Geode, who couldn't fight off his blush.

Ruto noticed this from a distance and cringed. "Is that really how we are going to be seen in the future? Pictures for anyone to enjoy themselves with for practically nothing?"

"I for one, don't mind." Ruto turned her head to see Ghirahim with a pleased grin on his face. "We shouldn't deny the world our perfections. Otherwise, you can choose bliss in ignorance, if it makes you more comfortable."

Zelda watched this exchange as she stood by Link, but her eyes were on Ghirahim: this being was more than just dead in her era. He might not even know that they were going to his own resting place, and he wasn't even aware of the irony in his own words.

"Oh Zelda." Bethany sang as she approached the girl. "I made several copies of them- take your pick. I won't judge, though personally I would have both."

There was a scoffing noise.

Zelda glanced over to see that it was Zant who made the Twili- who was wearing his helmet- was right next to Liam, who was more focused on Aryll. As his subjects disappeared into twilight particles, with Koji in tow, she realized that there would be one more person she needed to speak to.

"Got it!" Aryll cheered out with a laugh as the ground below them lit up with a soft blue light.

Zelda took a deep breath as the light engulfed them- sometime today, she would have to pull out the Master Sword. But was it really the first time? Or was it going to be something like the fourth or fifth time, not counting her theft from yesterday?

-Stage 11-

The Temple was more like an ancient city that was crumbling to ruin, but they all could see the temple in all of it's glory.

Inside that temple, would be the key to their victory. Everything was now on Zelda's shoulders.

Aryll glanced back from her spot and shot her brother a pleased grin, before hurrying back to Vaati. To the wind mage, she also gave him an eager grin, and her tutor responded with a rare, genuine smile of pride.

"It's practically a ghost town here." Link was in silent awe.

"So, you haven't been here before?" Zelda asked.

"Not really." Link admitted. "They sealed this place up with magic, so we couldn't get in. We just broke through the barrier-"

"Except the Master Sword itself is a barrier." Impa crossed her arms. "It keeps a fragment of evil locked away. Once pulled, the spirit will be free."

"And the additional barriers surrounding the temple were made with a special type of magic." Liam added in. "But we already went over what we have to do, so long as we can combine our strengths."

Zelda nodded and turned to Proxy and Sunny (who offered to give additional help as a secondary messenger). "You make sure we are all ready." She told the fairies.

"Right! I'll take to the skies!" Proxy flew up, followed by Sunny.

"Aright then." Zelda took her sword out and glanced at the others. "Let's work together to retrieve the Master Sword."

"First, let's awaken the statues." Liam reminded her, before turning to the Hylian Princess. "Where exactly are they?"

"If memory is correct, the Statue of Servitude is to the west." Aryll pointed. "The Statue of Twilight is to the north, and the Statue of Waves and Flames is to the South."

"Huh... that's-" Liam glanced around the group. "Oddly helpful."

" _One statue to a servant eternally faithful_." Aryll recited. " _One statue to one exposed to the eternal sunset. One statue to a ruler of the elements_. _Pray for the hero's passage, and the doors will open."_

"I will take the Statue of Servitude." Impa proceeded towards that direction. "As a servant to the Royal Family, it is only fitting."

"I know you hate each other, but could you follow her?" Liam quietly asked Ghirahim. "She might need help."

Ghirahim made an annoyed sound and followed after the General, but the truth was that Liam wanted Ghirahim as far from the Master Sword as possible, in the event that something would happen.

"In that case, I will seek out the Statue of Twilight." Zant went north, followed by Agitha, who happily twirled her parasol in her hands as she exclaimed. "And I will join too, just in case!"

"Well, I guess it's a no brainer." Darunia glanced to Ruto. "The last one's all for us." They too went on ahead. In the meantime, the army gradually dispersed themselves, in preparation for whatever would come their way, or if Ceiya would make his strike while he still could.

As Impa sensed Ghirahim following her, she shot the spirit a dark look over her shoulder.

"The feeling is mutual, Sheikah." Ghirahim spat.

"I have a name." She retorted.

"You're all the same to me. It doesn't matter what your name is."

 _Patience, temperance, humility..._ Impa reminded herself as they entered the courtyard where the first statue was located, and beyond the walls, they could see the ocean rolling off in the distance. The statue appeared to be a hooded figure that carried a sword in each hand, and here Impa knelt before it on her knees and began to pray.

"I am a servant, bound to the Royal Family since the beginning of time." Impa closed her eyes. "The King of evil has come back to our kingdom. Please grant the hero passage to the sacred sword."

The statue suddenly lit up with the mark of the Triforce at the center of it, but it caused a trigger.

Throughout the lower half of the courtyard, ghostly apparitions appeared in a flash of light. To the surprise of everyone, they looked like a light version of the knights of Hyrule, and they proceeded to attack.

"All intruders must perish!" One of them yelled out in an ethereal voice.

"The sacred sword must remain untouched!" Another yelled.

"Holy-!" Bethany cursed as they swarmed in to attack. "What are these guys?!"

"These are the guardians of the temple!" Aryll told her as Vaati held a protective arm out in front of her and readied a spell in his free hand. "They are bound to this place, until the hero appears!"

"Well why can't they see that were on their side?!" A knight yelled as the ghost knights charged ahead.

Chaos ensued as the living and the spirit world entered a struggle. All the while, those who sought the statues hurried as fast as they could, while Impa was left vulnerable and at the mercy and protection of a sword spirit who hated her with an extreme prejudice.

"I just have to protect a Sheikah!" Ghirahim hissed in anger as he swung his sword out at his opponents and kept them at bay. "What has this world come to?!"

Meanwhile, Zant and Agitha located a set of closed doors that blocked off the northern part of the temple. However, a set of doors was nothing to a being who could easily transport a young lady and himself beyond the doors, and this way of cheating was rewarded, as they found the next statue.

"Keep an eye out for me." Zant requested to Agitha as he approached the statue and knelt in front of it, while the girl turned around to face the inevitable.

"I come from the Twilight Realm, and I require help." Zant spoke. "If this hero... if she is truly worthy of succeeding the Hero of Twilight... of my Lady Wolf... give her the sword she once wielded in my era."

Agitha let out a gasp of horror as the doors opened and the ghost knights came flooding in, but Ashei then came right after them, with ball and chain in hand.

"You shouldn't leave a kid to do a woman's job!" Ashei yelled as she swung the ball right at the knights.

It took a lot longer for Darunia and Ruto to find the last statue. They had to navigate their way through the area right outside the temple itself, where even more ghosts appeared.

"I hate this place already!" Ruto complained as she tried to run after Darunia. "Why did they build this place like a maze!"

"Well you got to admit!" Darunia grinned. "It's creepy, it's ancient, and it's a- _maze-_ ing!"

Ruto groaned at the joke, before they finally came upon the last statue, which held two very familiar looking medallions.

"I'll go ahead and do it." Darunia told Ruto. "You move faster than I do."

"Got it!" Ruto nodded as she positioned herself to attack, while Darunia sat beside the statue.

"I rule over the Goron tribe, and over the fires of Death Mountain." Darunia told the statue. "Give the blonde haired girl passage to the Master Sword: let her into the temple."

"Everyone's at the statues!" Proxy yelled as he and Sunny flew to Link and Zelda. "They are being activated as we speak!"

"As soon as the doors open, run as fast as you can." Link turned to Zelda. "We'll make sure you have a good opening from here on out."

"Got it!" Zelda nodded.

Unfortunately, the amount of ghosts somehow doubled, and were now near the gates to the temples themselves. The living knights had no choice but to force themselves to continue on and fight to protect those who were at the statue, and the one important to the task at hand.

"It looks like the ghost soldiers are in the temple." Liam mused as he readied a spell of his own at the soldiers. "Where are they coming from?"

"You know what, forget waiting!" Zelda told Link. "We should get going, now!"

"Come on, I'll help you out." Link grabbed Zelda by the hand and ran towards the temple, followed by Proxy, who flew after them. As soon as he was sure that Zelda was following him, Link took his sword out and began to charge through the hordes.

"Could someone be pulling the strings behind these attacks?!" Proxy asked. "I mean, this is one defense too many!"

As they continued to run, a burst of magic suddenly hit Link, who hit the ground face first in almost no time flat. Zelda stopped and turned in alarm to see-

"Liam?!" Zelda asked in alarm as the sorcerer approached them, but almost immediately she realized that something was wrong. He looked paler than normal, as if someone had drained the color from his skin and hair.

"You have no idea how GOOD that felt!" 'Liam' let out a crackle before yelling out. "DESTROY THEM!"

"You're not Liam!" Proxy yelled in anger as the ghost soldiers continued their advances towards them. "He would never attack his friends!" He added as Zelda drew her sword ready.

The copy of the sorcerer scowled. "You two are such nuisances! You keep interfering in my fun and you keep coming back, no matter how many times you get beaten down!" He roared as he sent a wall of magic at Zelda, who quickly dodged it.

Meanwhile, Link gingerly got up off the ground and reached for his sword when he saw the ensuing battle between the fake Liam and Zelda. Somewhere, deep inside him, the part of him that helped bring Shadow into existence was boiling with anger when he recognized the coloring of the fake Liam: how _dare_ he show his face after what he told him!

Link used his sword to hoist himself back up, and quickly hurried into the battle, just as 'Liam' sent an attack at Zelda that knocked her shield clean out of her hands when she tried to block the attack. The shield went flying into one of the walls of the ruins, and the girl was left with only her sword, as the copy let out a laugh. "Can't protect yourself now, can you?"

"Hey faker!" 'Liam' turned too late as Link sliced his sword into his body. 'Liam' let out a cry as the sword cut into him, and yet no blood was drawn as he struggled to regain his balance. Unfortunately for him, Link wasn't done yet, and he sent his full fury at the copy, while Zelda allowed the prince to have his moment with the copy.

"GO!" Link yelled as he blocked an oncoming attack, when 'Liam' was able to recover. Zelda nodded and hurried as fast as she could.

"I'll kill her before she gets the sword!" 'Liam' let out a crazed laugh. "You can threaten me all you want, but I'll get her in the-"

He was cut short when, in the heat of the moment, he forgot who he was dealing with, and Link sent his sword through the copy. The copy let out a startled gasp, as Link glared at him. "You were saying?"

The copy let out a growl and suddenly vanished from Link's sword. In that moment, the spell that confused the ghost soldiers faded away, and they came to their senses.

"Wh-what happened?" The captain asked as he and his men glanced in confusion at the living, as if awakening from a dream.

"Got it!" Darunia suddenly yelled out as his statue lit up.

Throughout each three chambers that contained the statues, the prayers were received, and the statue's burst into light, before it died away, along with the mark of the Triforce. Each person who prayed felt as if their energy had been spent, and found themselves too exhausted to fight, but the doors to the temple finally opened up.

"I can't fight in this state." Impa panted as she collapsed to the ground. "Th-they need us!"

"Get up and fight!" Ashei yelled at Zant. In response, the Twili could only wave an arm up, before it collapsed.

"Ugh, I'm getting too old for this." Darunia complained as he collapsed on his back. "Oh Din, what am I saying? I'm still burning with youth and strength!"

"The doors have opened." The captain realized. "The one who must wield the sword- have they arrived?"

"Yes." Liam smiled. "You are free to go, if that is what you wish."

"Of course." The ghost captain nodded. "Please excuse our trespasses."

"It is fine." Liam assured him. "You were only following orders, sir."

There was a sense of a smile in the ghost's voice as he and all the ghost knights faded away. "Of course. Thank you for understanding."

Meanwhile, only one member of the army and a fairy was inside the beautiful temple, and they was just entering one of the side corridors, when a flash of red filled the building, and they came face to face with a horde of bokoblins, lizafoes, and re-deads.

"What on-?!" Zelda almost stopped in her tracks. Did Ceiya pick up what they were doing, or was this the further doing of Liam's copy?

"Hurry!" Proxy yelled. "Your almost there!"

With no defense in her hand, Zelda was forced to charge through the wave of monsters and leave fate to decide if she would live or parish on her own.

Outside, those who were not aware of the monsters thought that they finally achieved victory, and some were celebrating a bit too early.

"We'll get to see the Master Sword!" Bethany laughed in joy as Ashei was dragging Zant back to the center of the ruins, with his arm over her, while Agitha trailed behind.

"Don't get cocky just yet." Ashei warned as she glanced around the knights. "We still have a few who are missing."

"Brother?" Aryll walked to Link and grabbed his arm. "Do you think she's safe by herself?"

In response, Link could only glance to the temple in worry- this victory felt too easy, and he was very tempted to rush ahead and make sure that she was safe. "Wait here." He told his sister and ran on ahead.

Zelda's heart was beating in anticipation for what was going to come next, and she almost wished that the monsters could go away, so she could find the sword of legends. The sheer number of the monsters made her feel fatigued, and especially after facing the ghost soldiers.

She finally came upon a set of closed off doors, and even more monsters than before, and she pushed herself to fight them all off, even if her body felt like it was already protesting. Slowly they fell, one by one, and she felt that any second- any minute- those doors would open and she-

"They're open!" Proxy yelled, and Zelda turned to see that the doors finally opened to reveal a beautiful forested grove, where something was shinning in the sunlight.

"This is it! This is it!" Proxy laughed. "Go on and get the sword! I'll go and tell the others!"

"This is it." Zelda felt her heart stop as she echoed those words in wonder. With a burst of energy, Zelda rushed through the doors and into the hidden grove as fast as she could. The faster she could do this, the better the chance she would have of getting out of this mess alive and for Hyrule to have a chance of victory for what was to come- it was all on her shoulders now.

The grove was rather beautiful, but her attention was at the sword that was right in the center, with sunlight gently casted upon it. For one moment, it felt like all the fighting that was occurring around her ceased to be, as she stood face to face with the legendary sword that was so often spoken of since she was a child.

Despite that she was in a hurry, she couldn't help but admire the blade since it was the very weapon used by the past heroes. However, she felt a little depressed when she realized something: first, she already pulled this blade out of the pedestal many centuries ago, so this moment was not going to be as special as it should have been. The other... the other was that she already knew the other truth about why this blade was special. Something that no one else would know, because the truth would forever remain a part of speculation and myth.

But no wasn't the time to think- quickly, Zelda grabbed the handle with both hands, but then she hesitated and closed her eyes.

"Please-" she began with as much courage as she could manage as she spoke to the sword. "I _know_ who you really are- I know your true name. I don't know if the others before me knew, but I need your power more than ever! Please remember who I am Ghirahim! Remember that you once gave me to you, in my time of need! Give me the strength to save our past and our present!"

Her grip tightened on the handle and she began to pull, but a pair of hands suddenly covered over her own hands and stopped her.

For one moment, she was afraid that it was the false Liam who was stopping her. She looked up in alarm to see who it was- but it was possibly one of the last few people she would have suspected:

"I knew you would come for me, commander." Ghirahim gave the young warrior a pleasant smile.

"What are you doing?!" Zelda frantically asked. "You're supposed to be protecting General Impa!"

The spirit let out a laugh and shook his head.

"This isn't funny!" Zelda demanded. "Let go of my hands and let me pull out the-"

"Stop and think, dear girl- how or why on earth would I be in two places at once?"

Time stopped when Zelda took in those words and came upon a startling possibility. Somehow, it made complete sense to her, and yet she couldn't believe it all the same.

"...You're the present version of Ghirahim." She realized as the area around them turned white and the Master Sword disappeared from her grip.

She glanced around in confusion before he could explain it: "Your consciousness is currently within a separate time frame outside of the real world. As long as you are holding onto the sword or until you pull it out, you are tied to this dimension."

The present day version of Ghirahim grinned as he let go of Zelda's hands. "It's good to finally see a version of you who knows the truth. Let me guess- this is during the war against Ceiya and I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on Impa, correct?

Zelda slowly unclasped her hands together, but she still stared at the spirit in shock.

"You... you aren't asleep." She began. "You never were asleep-"

"In a way, I am still alive, and in a way, I am dead." Ghirahim confirmed, although there was no denying an air of smugness. "Fate is funny like that, but it all comes down to divine power, thanks to a certain reincarnation of His Sire, and my brilliant determination."

"But I thought you were supposed to be asleep!" A confused Zelda continued. "In order for the Master Sword to be timeless, you had to be trapped in an endless sleep!" she then remembered her research and the recollections. "You _were_ there... you were there for the Hero of Time and the Hero of Twilight when they pulled the Master Sword out." She then looked up in anger. "Why didn't you tell them who you really were?!"

Ghirahim's smile faltered until there was genuine sorrow in his eyes. "I... I promised I would be there for you. I promised when you put me to sleep.. but you never knew who I was. Not when you were a small child who never grew up with those tales and not even when you were a young woman who was too lost in depression to make the connection."

Zelda was torn between feeling sorry for the spirit and wanting to tear her hair out. "I'm not them! Why does everyone say I'm the same Zelda?! Who am _I_ to you?" She asked. "We know each other, but we aren't the same person we met before. I'm not _your_ Zelda- I'm the girl who pulled out the sword before her, remember?"

There was a silence between the two.

"You- that is to say the first Zelda-" Ghirahim corrected himself "-was cursed to be forever tied to Demise. It was because of this that I wanted to make sure that I would always be there for you, even if I lost my corporal form to do so."

"So... so I'm cursed to be forever reincarnated." Zelda now understood. "I suppose it makes sense." She let out a weak laugh. "All those coincidences, with the names, the destiny, the Triforce- and now I'm part of the cycle."

"You were once a soul who needed guidance and a reminder of what was once important." Ghirahim admitted. "You were once tied to Zant though a friendship so painfully familiar, that I envied him when I saw your memories. I couldn't stand it when you were depressed, and I needed to push you. I can't stand fools who choose to mope, rather than push onward, and you were falling into those habits."

Zelda managed to smile.

"You were once the closest thing I had to a daughter. I regretted taking those years from you- I regret that I didn't stop you from drawing me out, and all the suffering you had to endure all at once and at such a young age. That version of you was with me the longest, but you gave me a happiness that I could never have experienced if I regretted my choices."

Ghirahim closed his eyes as he remembered _her_. The first Mistress- the one who they all began with.

"You were once everything to me... Oh, I could ramble on about it: I was more than just a weapon to you, you know. You were a part of my soul- your father once said that the sword was an extension of the soul. That was what you told me-" Ghirahim closed his eyes in pain as each memory of those incarnations came to mind, but his first one almost made him stop. "You were everything to me... what else could I say about you when you were Hylia's Champion? We had a bond so strong, that it lasted long after the time of Skyloft was over and Hylia's people once more roamed the earth."

He finally glanced back to Zelda. The first Zelda he knew, even before _his_ Zelda.

"And of course, there's you- the one who cheated time and fate itself." He grinned at her and threw his arms out in a wide gesture. "The Hero, The Daughter, The Wolf, and The Commander- they are all one and the same, and yet not quite! Each girl shares the same soul- the same template- and yet they are _never_ the same! I suppose that must be what it feels like for a parent to watch their child grow with age, and yet I will never regret meeting each and every one of you."

"Wait- so you know how this all turns out!" Zelda realized. "You know if we win or not-" Ghirahim suddenly held a hand up to stop her: a hand that bore two ribbons of pink and green forever entwined around his wrist. "That past version of me is going to forget everything when your battle with the black sorcerer is over."

Zelda was confused. "What? How?"

"There is so much that I wish I could tell you." A dark look crossed Ghirahim's face "This will not be a war so easily won, and there will be much sorrow caused by this. But much like so many years ago, we both have to obey the laws of time."

Zelda opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but he held a finger up this time.

"There will be nothing but headaches, if you try to think too hard on this." He warned her.

"Will... will the old 'you' know the truth?" Zelda asked.

"Perhaps, and perhaps not." Ghirahim shrugged. "That's for you to find out."

Another silence fell between the two of them.

"Once I pull the Master Sword, you'll go back to sleep, won't you?" Zelda sadly asked. "I need to go back to the others, but I don't want to- I don't want to do that to you."

"As long as I get to fight beside you, it doesn't matter." Ghirahim cupped Zelda's cheek and made her look up at him. "Don't you dare pity me- we made our choices long ago. I made my choice without any regret- it's time you do the same and do what's right."

Zelda gently grabbed onto his wrist. "Will _I_ remember any of this?" She asked.

"You will." Ghirahim assured her.

"Good." Zelda smiled. "That wouldn't have been fair if I didn't. Except... I won't be able to look you in the eye."

"You have to."

"...I almost don't want to do this."

"This moment is a dream for you- a pleasant dream, I hope. But you have to wake up, in order to continue on, no matter how brief this moment was."

The spirit bent his head and kissed the forehead of his Mistress reincarnated. "I will be angry if you don't." He warned her.

Zelda let out a laugh as Ghirahim let go of her chin and grasped her hands.

"There's one more thing." Zelda added- this was something that was very important to her, no matter if she lived many lives before or not. "Now that I know, there's something I need to tell you." She took a deep breath and quickly hugged Ghirahim as tightly as she could.

"Thank you Ghirahim. On behalf of the past heroes and for always being there when they needed you the most, thank you. And thank you for being there for me- I promise I will use the Master Sword to win this war, and I won't forget the truth for as long as I live."

The sword spirit smiled and held Zelda to him. A few seconds passed, before he allowed a hand to be free and stroke Zelda's hair- that beautiful golden hair that once fascinated him and returned through this incarnation of his Mistress. He wondered if meeting Zelda before his intended Mistress was what caused the interest in her hair in the first place. The long hair seemed like such an inconvenience at the time, and now it symbolized something far more than that.

Of all the Zelda's who came before, this one was special in her own way: she knew him long before he knew her, and she knew the truth, no matter how painful it was. But he wouldn't of had it either way, because, for one moment, Zelda was seeing him for who he was: not a sword, but as a living being.

Ghirahim slowly let go of the wonderful girl, and her arms slipped away from his frame until their hands reunited once more- together as one, as it was always meant to be.

Ghirahim smiled to her and as he slowly faded away. "Thank you... Zelda."

He then disappeared altogether and the whiteness became blinding to the point that Zelda had to close her eyes. She felt the pair of hands fade away from her own as the handle of a sword came back into her grasp.

" _This time, my dearest Zelda, I am now yours to wield: you are now and forever always my Mistress."_

Zelda felt tears in her eyes as she smiled, before finally pulling the Master Sword free from the pedestal and opened her eyes to the tops of the trees and the sunlight as she held the blade skyward.

The blade brightened up and briefly became outlined with a light that seemed to rival the golden radiance of the Triforce itself. She could feel the blade connecting with her- becoming one with her, as if it had always meant to be.

Zelda stared at the Master Sword as it shone in it's full glory in a golden radiance, before it faded away. Carefully she lowered the sword and glanced at herself in the reflection of the blade and saw, not a commander or young woman, but a hero.

There could be no regrets. Only hope for the future.

"Thank you, Ghirahim." Zelda smiled at the blade of the sword as a dark presence appeared behind her.

"So, the little missy has her hands on a new sword, does she?" Zelda glanced back to see Wizzro floating right behind her.

With a determined scowl, Zelda held herself in a ready stance, with the Master Sword out and in her hand, ready to once again fight alongside it's Mistress.

"Oh no you don't! Wizzro sent a spell out at Zelda, but the young woman was unfazed as she entered the fight against the wizard. She swung the Master Sword out and struck the wizard the moment she could, and allowed the blade it's first taste of fighting in over several decades.

In the brief span of time she fought against Wizzro, Zelda marveled at how well the Master Sword felt in her grasp. It didn't feel as if she was granted a stronger form of power, but it felt as if it truly had been a part of her to begin with. It was easy to wield, and it felt glorious.

It wasn't like when she used it against the Imprisoned, where it felt like a privilege: this was something far more than that. This was the sword used by the past heroes- the sword used to defeat demons and evil kings- this was the sword she had been destined to use since before she was even born. The Master Sword felt as if it had already been her sword to begin with.

Wizzro could feel the full sting of the Master Sword in Zelda's attacks, and he realized that he wouldn't last forever- not only was the girl skilled in her abilities, but the addition of the Blade of Evil's bane somehow felt even more painful than a normal blade.

"Gah, fine!" Wizzro flew back. "I'll take care of the others!" He declared as he disappeared into a dark pool that vanished seconds later.

Zelda didn't waste anytime to hurry out of the temple. "Oh no you don't!" She growled.

It was around this time that Proxy delivered the good news to everyone.

"She has the Master Sword!" He cheered as loudly as he could. "She went into some sort of grove, and she should have it by now!"

"That's great!" Sir Winslow laughed as the other knights let out a cheer for victory.

Aryll let out an excited squeal and hugged her brother. "There's no way you all will lose!"

Link was about to return the gesture, when suddenly a huge number of monsters appeared in flashes of red across the temple grounds. The already small numbers of the army was entirely surrounded, and those who were struggling to rejoin the others were in for a nasty shock.

"Don't just stand there, get them!" Link quickly let go of Aryll and took his sword out, while allowing the princess's tutor to once more keep a protective stance by her side.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Aaron groaned as he and the other knights readied for the next part of the struggle. Elsewhere, a certain sword spirit was struggling to carry the Sheikah general over his shoulder (much to his disgust) and was sending waves of attacks at his opponents with his sword, while Ashei found herself stuck between carrying Zant and facing her enemies. She cursed the goddesses and let go of the Twili king, who fell to an unsightly heap on the ground and readied herself to fight, while the self proclaimed bug princess charged ahead with her insects. As Ashei swung the ball and chain, she barely noticed Zelda, who ran full on ahead towards the center of the battlegrounds, and sliced and cut through her enemies with the Master Sword in her hand as if they were nothing.

"Oh princey boy!"

Link turned in alarm to see Wizzro crackling with laughter. "Payback time!" He sent out a jet of black magic that struck Link right into his chest. The young man was unable to move, for the magic was so strong that it felt like being repeatedly punched in the stomach, with little time to react.

Wizzro let out a happy crackle as Link collapsed to the ground and clutched his chest. The royal could taste a familiar metallic favor in his mouth, and he began to be concerned with just how badly damaged he was on the inside. If he had still been Shadow, it wouldn't have hurt, but now he was a true flesh and blood being once again, and his pain didn't have to solely come from the sun itself.

"KEYAH!" Wizzro moved forward, with hands out and already forming another spell-

-a pink and yellow figure suddenly leapt out into his vision and a blade crashed into his body and knocked him back.

"Zelda!" Aryll gasped as she watched the young woman mercilessly deliver blow after blow against the wizard.

"Is that the creature you told us about?" Vaati asked Aryll. "The one who attacked you?"

"Yes, it was him!" Aryll angrily pointed. "It was because of him that my brother was forced to run away from us!"

"I see." Vaati raised his hand up and began to chant. Aryll was about to ask what he was doing, but then recognized the spell and kept quiet.

"You witch!" Wizzro howled at Zelda from where he knelt on the ground and struggled to overcome the pain from his wounds.

"You're a coward." Zelda only replied as she held the Master Sword out at her side. "Did you think that I wouldn't go after you?"

"I WILL PERSONALLY TEAR ALL YOUR ORGANS OUT, YOU LITTLE B-"

There was a flash of gray light that covered Wizzro up.

And seconds later, Zelda was granted the sight of a perfect replica of the wizard of the ring cursing at her with an accusing finger in the finest gray marble she had ever seen.

"What the-?" A loud and hysterical laugh cut her short and she glanced to see a certain sorcerer struggle to hold his composure but he failed and was clutching his chest and his shoulders were bobbing up and down.

"Oh- Din-" Vaati wheezed as Aryll gave her tutor a nervous glance and slowly backed away from him. "That- was the funniest- thing- I've done in ages!"

All across the temple, the monsters saw what had happened to Wizzro and quickly retreated away or were left at the hands of the knights until only the side of light remained. Victory came upon those who sought to protect Hyrule in every incarnation.

Gradually, everyone rejoined the center of the temple, where they bore witness to the hero who now wielded the Master Sword. Zelda glanced around as each knight or member of the army stared at the blade in awe.

"The Master Sword-" Groose realized.

"-it's accepted you." Karane joined in.

Zelda glanced to the royal siblings. The princess grinned and looked as if her birthday was to last for seven days, while the brother clutched at his stomach but was able to give her a smile that spoke of a faith and a hope that he had for her, ever since this whole thing began. It was a smile that made Zelda blush as Ruto and Darunia joined the group, followed by Agitha, and Ashei, who finally finished dragging Zant with them.

The twili finally lifted his head and saw, for the first time in a long time, a very familiar sword in the hands of the one who looked like the Zelda of his era. He felt something inside him that was both pleasant and unbearable as he gazed upon her and upon that sword.

"I remember you." He whispered. That wonderful sword- at least there was something in this era that managed to last, along with the legacy Lady Wolf left behind.

There was a gasping sound, and Zelda turned her head to see Impa stuggling to stay on her feet as Ghirahim took his hands off her, after carrying her for so long.

Ghirahim...

Zelda's grip on the Master Sword tightened: she contained valuable knowledge to Ghirahim's future...

Ghirahim- the Ghirahim of the era of the sky- turned his attention to her.

Zelda summoned up the courage inside her and smiled at him as her grip on the Master Sword loosened until it felt comfortable in her hands. She would be able to smile, for the sake of the one who dwelt within the Master Sword, and continue on with the journey.

 **-10 minutes later-**

"Ungh." Wizzro shook his head and tried to awaken himself. In that exact moment, three blades were aimed in a perfect arc around him.

The wizard glanced up in alarm to see Liam with his book out and ready and Impa, Zelda, and Link all had their swords pointed at him, with the whole of the Hylian army behind them and their esteemed guests waiting on the sides.

"Remember what I said last time?" Link shot Wizzro a dark look. For one split second, it looked as if Shadow had risen to the surface and replaced the prince, and there was no denying that the look of hatred and a hunger for violence was not the same. It made Wizzro shudder at the painful memory of the last encounter.

The wizard immediately tried to fly away, but the second he did, his arms suddenly felt numb and he fell back to the ground in an ungraceful heap. A frantic glance told him that his arms were turned to stone.

Vaati smirked as he held a hand out while he walked a ways behind the quartet surrounding the wizard.

"What kind of freaks do you guys have on your side?!" Wizzro shot the prince a confused look.

"Talk now, or I'll revert back to being Shadow!" Link snapped. "Where's Ceiya?!"

"Argh!" Wizzro snarled in frustration. "Fine! I'll talk pretty boy! He's in the Temple of Souls, but he's not going to be happy!"

Zelda let out a giggle and moved her sword away. "It looks like we have our objective!"

Liam frowned. "Not happy? Why would he not be happy?"

"Oh you should know." Wizzro chuckled. "After all, you and him are the same. Tell me- do you share the same fantasies?"

Zelda felt sick to her stomach at the implication- she had almost forgotten about the reason for this war in the first place.

Liam stared in silence. Finally, he snapped his book shut and turned around. "Come on, let's get out of here." he walked away.

"Wait a minute." Impa protested. "What about him?"

"Send him back into his ring." Liam waved his hand. "I don't want to waste magic on him."

Wizzro mentally panicked, and yet he was aware that there was one last trick up his sleeve: in fact, the count down was about to get to zero at any second.

"Y-you know-" He giggled. "There is something that would make Ceiya happy. Call it evening the odds, so to say."

Liam turned back and frowned at the wizard. "How? We have the Master Sword and two halves of the Triforce. We have a far better advantage over him."

"True." Wizzro nodded. "But..." There it was! He felt the count run down to zero. His eye turned into a nasty toothed grin. "What if I gave him exactly what he wanted in the first place?"

It all happened within in instant:

At that exact moment, Zelda was suddenly encased in a large pink like crystal.

Immediately, panic broke loose as everyone lost their attention on the wizard, and placed it on Zelda, who was the most surprised of all.

"What's going on?!" She yelled and pounded at the crystal with her free hand, but she could barely hear anyone outside of the crystal. "General?! Your Highness?!" He worriedly glanced to the equally frantic prince and general.

Sadly, this was the case on the outside of the crystal- they too, could barely hear her cries for help.

Wizzro laughed as the prince and Liam immediately ran to the crystal, but a black hole appeared under the crystal and a series of black and purple hands shot out, reached over the crystal, and began to pull it down into the void, while another hand appeared right behind the distracted wind sorcerer and punched him in the back of the head. The moment he fell to his knees and lost his concentration, Wizzro's arms became normal again and he let out a very high pitched laugh as he vanished into his own magic.

"So long, fools!" He laughed.

Meanwhile, Zelda frantically looked around as she sank into the earth. Everyone close by tried to cut away the hands, but only more would reappear and render their efforts futile. She could see Link frantically try to cut them away and Liam tried to use his magic from his book... however, there was even more chaos on the other side and she turned in time to see Darunia try to swing his hammer at the crystal. It didn't work, and he was forced back, and Ruto hurried in to try to attack with her water. However, Ghirahim shoved her out of the way and snapped something at her, but that was when another person- Zant- shoved _him_ out of the way and swung his blades against the crystal like a madman. His voice was the loudest of them all, and she could hear him yell only two words as if he was a cat being strangled to death and letting out it's final cry:

"LADY WOLF!"

At this point, the crystal suddenly jolted, and then dropped through the ground at a quicker pace, before all went black.

 **-?-**

A flash of light occurred for one moment behind the crystal prison, until she found herself in an unfamiliar location devoid of any of the people she had been fighting alongside.

The crystal faded away, and Zelda was finally free, but she was now in some sort of strange chamber that was barely lit by dim purple lighting and the floor was black and white checkered.

Zelda took a deep breath and told herself to calm down before she turned around- and let out a sharp gasp as she took two steps back when she saw herself.

Or rather, three versions of herself. Each one was a mirror life-sized copy and stood perfectly poised each appeared to be in a deep sleep while standing upright, within some sort of red cushioned nook with gilded rose patterned designs around it, and each one was dressed in a different style of dress that emphasized certain body features.

Seconds passed, before Zelda realized something was off- they weren't _exactly_ her. The girl to the right who wore the colors of a beautiful sunset sky looked exactly like the Hero of Twilight from all those years ago. The second wore forest green, with hints of gold, red, and blue and she looked like the Hero of Time from the old sepia pictures and paintings, and was the only one who didn't have ribbons in her hair. The last girl- who wore pure white and sky blue hues- didn't look as familiar to Zelda, but she had very noticeable features that reminded Zelda of Marni from the era of the sky.

Zelda realized who this was: she was Hylia's Champion and Ghirahim's first Mistress.

"Those are among your most recognizable faces, my dear."

Zelda's eyes widened when she heard that familiar voice and she turned in alarm to see a figure in the shadows. She could her the smugness in his voice as he then stepped out to reveal himself. A familiar face greeted her, but the wisdom and kindess was replaced with the all too obvious gaze of male lust.

"Each face masks a burden, but they all overcame the impossible." Ceiya could not have been more triumphant than in that moment.

* * *

 **Outtake:**

 **Call-back**

You were once everything to me. Oh, I could ramble on about it: I was more than just a weapon to you. You were a part of my soul- your father once said that the sword was an extension of the soul."

It was at this moment Ghirahim seemed to realize something important.

"Actually, that reminds me." He crossed his arms and scowled at her. "I have a long list of complaints in regards to something important. Something that's been bothering me, like an annoying insect."

This surprised Zelda. "Such as...?"

Ghirahim took a deep breath- and then all hell broke loose.

"First off, why did you still insist on using something so childish like a slingshot?! And you actually used sticks as if they were weapons- sticks that you only used for lighting torches! And then you had that boomerang, but you only used it for possibly thirty minutes total-

 _-One minute later-_

"-Somehow, you defied the laws of physics and used a hammer with should have been used by that rock-headed idiot, like he's using it now. Sorry about what happened in the fire temple, by the way-

 _-One minute later-_

"-Used a damn mirror to kill off the two witches-"

 _-One minute later-_

"They left behind a means of transportation that made you spin around with it! You had to rely on Zant to use it, and keep your eyes closed the whole time! What kind of idiot designed such a thing?!"

 _-One minute later-_

"The ball and chain! Really, how was that even physically possible for you? What made you even think you could use it? You're lucky you even had the gauntlets!"

 _-One minute later-_

"The damn rod lost it's power when you left the temple, and all it was good for was to possess statues! The damn thing was impractical! If I ever see that feeble stick again, I-"

 _-One minute later-_

Ghirahim had to take a moment to compose himself. His face looked flush and he seemed incredibly fatigued.

Meanwhile, Zelda could only blankly stare at him, after enduring the most insane rant she had ever heard.

"...Aryll wasn't kidding. You really _are_ prone to jealousy over other weapons."

Ghirahim held up a finger as he struggled to compose himself. Finally, he gave Zelda an incredibly dark look. "There is one weapon that you found, that makes me extremely outraged at your possible infidelity. In fact, it had the audacity to exist in the first place and makes me consumed with such loathing, that I would have basked in the glory of sending my wrath upon it."

"What weapon could do that?" Zelda nervously asked.

Ghirahim let out a crazed laugh before he told her the answer and named the doomed weapon of his hatred: name that filled him with such bitterness, jealousy, and hatred, that he would destroy all of Hyrule just to find it again and engage in sweet bloodshed.

"If I ever- EVER- see the boomerang spirit who calls herself Lexi, I will make her deaf with the sound of her own screams and blind by the horror of her own slaughter.

 **-?-**

"Hughhh." Lexi violently shuddered in the middle of a card game.

"What's up Boomerang?" Skull Kid slapped a card down on the table, while Scrapper was sorting through his own cards... and Ivan was stuck in the jar and shouting profanities at all of them.

A very pale as snow Lexi explained with a tiny, wavering voice:

"I just felt something akin to the combination of the disgust caused by Sonic 06, the outrage from Andrew Lloyd Webber making a sequel to Phantom of the Opera, the fear caused through Five Nights at Freddy's and Slender, the petty jealousy caused through reality dating shows, the aggravation that people have at Disney for Frozen and everything it stands for, the hatred over crappy reality tv shows and the families within them who don't deserve a second of our attention, and the need for blood from countless people who hate that books like Fifty Shades of Gray and Twilight are regarded as good literature."

There was a horrified pause amongst the group.

"In other words, Mistress Lexi?" Scrapper prompted.

"In other words," Lexi stated in a perfect deadpan voice. "I have a feeling someone want's to kill me."

There was another horrible pause.

"So then!" Lexi happily chirped as if nothing happened. "Do you think we will get our own TV tropes page, or are we not cool enough for one?"

* * *

 **Vaati, you took away Zelda's victory! Darn you!**

 **I don't hate Frozen: I just hate how bad the franchise has grown and almost overshadowed other animated films. I think that might be why the main characters aren't official Disney princesses yet- because they'll lose profits.**

 **Also: never had there been as much protest to a sequel online as there had been for a fan-fiction taken to extremes and onto the stage. I admit that some parts of it are guilty-pleasure worthy, but you guys should have seen how bad that time period of protesting was.**

 **And yeah, saying I don;t like Fifty Shades of Gray and Twilight makes me a hypocrite, considering what my favorite musical (and one of my fan preferred ships) is and what kind of fan fiction I tend to write, but I do consider the reality of things like that, so let's not get into it.**

 **Oh yeah, disclaimer: I don't own everything mentioned in Lexi's conversation. There, I disclaimed them.**


	13. The light within

**EDIT: Shout out to** **mysterious guy898 for pointing something out that needed to be fixed.**

 **I kept you all waiting long enough... This one is a big one.**

 **I liked all your reactions to the last chapter, and especially Master Sword!Ghirahim's interactions with Zelda. Of course, now you guys are probably confused as to what the heck was/is going on or the whole 'I'm going to forget this' thing, which will be explained in a few more chapters.**

 **And no- this fan fic is not going to create alternate timelines. Ocarina of Time already took care of that for us.**

 **Also to AmaeJay: I love Vaati too. :) Also, your question is about to be answered in this chapter by Ceiya himself.**

 **I was debating on using the biggest 'jumping the shark' moment ever, before I just went with it. I had this planned out for a long time, so I hope it turns out alright in the end. Link's story line with Shadow/Dark Link was already done in this story so... I used something similar but...**

 **I uncensored a certain curse word for this chapter. I felt that that the situation for it wasn't funny and it serves as a case of nasty irony, for those of you who are reading Time's Trade.**

 **Oh yeah... HIGH risk of spoilers for Skyward Swaps, Twilight Twists, and Time's Trade (unless you've played the games and can guess what's going on.)**

* * *

 **chapter 13: The light within**

There was a troubled atmosphere amongst the army as they stared at the spot where Zelda had vanished. With the exception of one Twili who was frantically letting out unholy sounds from his mouth while one sword spirit was forced hold him against himself to try to calm him down, there was a few moments of quiet, before Ashei spoke up with the question on all of their minds.

"What just happened?"

"Zelda..." Proxy stared at the empty patch of dirt in hopelessness- he should have stuck by her side. What would Ceiya do to Zelda, now that he had her in his grasp?

"Ok, sorcerer." Link turned to Liam with a dark glare in his eyes. "Speak up: what were you hoping to do to her, once she was in your grasp?"

"M-my grasp?!" Liam stammered.

"You're the same person!" Ruto snapped. "What else does he mean?!"

"I don't know!" Liam frantically shook his head and clutched his book so tightly that it hurt. "He's my dark half- what would you expect?"

" _He has a point._ _ **"**_ A voice in Link's head spoke, and the young man grimaced: Shadow hadn't _completely_ merged back inside him, so it made that voice inside his head a lot more louder and some of his impulses a lot more easier to carry out. _**"**_ _We wanted to keep princess to ourselves. I'd try to seduce her if it was me, but we both know she's stronger than that._ _ **"**_

"You are taking us to the Temple of Souls." Link tried to stay calm but he kept a warning eye on Liam. "You will take us to the temple, tell us what to do so we can rescue Zelda, and if you refuse to help or keep any important information from us, I'll see to it that you are banished from the Kingdom."

Almost everyone gave Link a stunned look, though a select few were impressed by his boldness. Others felt that the threat should have been much worse, but there was no time to complain.

"You're right." Liam nodded in defeat. "But I have to warn you, this temple is unique, so don't be surprised at what you see."

-Temple of Souls-

"Oh, those are just mannequins." Ceiya nodded to the three girls behind Zelda. "As much as I would like to meet the real ones, circumstances have made that impossible. Still, I'm rather fond of them. What do you think of the dresses- would you like to try any of them on?"

"What did you do?" Zelda demanded as she took out her sword. "Why did you take me from my friends?!"

"I got bored of waiting, dearest." Ceiya merely told her as he repeatedly smacked his scepter into his free hand. "I waited for you to get reacquainted with the companion most faithful to you, but time is running short for both of us. I think you know the answer to that."

"Why?!" Zelda asked in frustration. "What is it about me that made you revive Ganondorf and do- all of this?!" She waved her hand out for emphasis. "You're no better than him!"

Ceiya stopped smacking his scepter.

There was a long pause as his eyes narrowed at her. "Are you comparing me to him?"

He then stepped forward. "I have as much hatred towards him as I do to your beloved intended and the goddesses themselves. Those three witches left behind the Triforce- the ultimate symbol of temptation- and caused this mess to happen in the first place! They left their heartless brother to watch over it, and he had to go and selfishly force a human to do it for him! That arrogant deity never gave a thought about those he considered to be his pawns!" Ceiya roared. "It's because of his foolishness that you are forever damned to reincarnation, and for my lineage to always watch over the timelines, and keep the balance at peace!" He swung his scepter out and sent a blast of purple magic into the wall.

Zelda felt her heart race as she gazed at the black sorcerer. He was panting heavily, and he seemed to be staring off into space and was glaring at something.

"And there was you, my dear." Ceiya's features softened as he stood upright. "You were the greatest pawn of them all. Hylia chose you, because you would fall in love with him as a human. And even then, he used you- manipulated you- and in the end, left you to Demise and his unending curse."

"Oh- I've watched you." Ceiya continued as he started to smile. "I've seen you in lives both in the past, in the alternate eras, and even in alternate worlds. I saw you suffer through great hardships, and yet you always endured with that beautiful radiance that makes your spirit. I've seen, and I've known what you've gone through- more than what _he_ knows." Ceiya harshly spat.

"You can't be serious." Zelda shook her head. "Just because I share the same soul, it doesn't mean that I'm the same!"

"The same?!" Ceiya gave her a disbelieving look. "You are the same! The same strength, the same sacrifices you made, the same passions and even the same worthless man that you always give your heart to! Even this version of you is no exception: I saw what you were destined for, long before he, did, and I saw that you would be tied to him once more, in your accursed bond! Not this time!" Ceiya slammed the scepter on the ground. "I am not letting that man have you! You deserve someone who actually cares about you! Someone willing to give you everything you desire!"

"You don't care about me! You don't even know what I desire!" Zelda yelled.

"And what has your intended done that made your life better in any era, beyond marriage, family, and crowns?!" Ceiya grew furious. "Did you become a musician or traveled the world, like you always wanted?! I sacrificed a part of me in your name! I resurrected your enemy to give you happiness! I pulled apart the timeline for you! I gave you back friends you once lost, and I can make it so that the rest won't have to make sacrifices in your name!"

Ceiya suddenly vanished and teleported right in front of Zelda. Before she could move, Ceiya suddenly grabbed the Master Sword by the blade, out of her hands.

"Do you see this?!" He demanded as he held the blade up. To Zelda's horror, smoke was coming out of Ceiya's hand as his blood ran down the blade. " _He_ sacrificed his freedom in _your_ name! If your beloved truly loved you, he would have taken actions so that your companion wouldn't be in this state!"

"Stop!" Zelda yelled in panic.

Ceiya gave Zelda a crazed grin before glancing up at the blade in his hand. " _See_?! I can touch you too, you sadistic creep!" He howled at the blade before he tossed the sword aside and it scattered across the floor.

Ceiya glanced to his still smoking hand, but he had a triumphant glance in his eyes.

"You're a monster." Zelda could only say. "I don't know what happened to make you lose your way, but I could _never_ love you."

Ceiya glanced up at Zelda. "Those are some big words _princess_." He sneered. "I've seen the hearts that you tamed. Ghirahim, Zant, your beloved Shadow: he's no different than I am, and yet we are exactly alike. We didn't share those pathetic restrictions and maybe he would of had a better chance if he stayed that way."

"What makes them better than me?" Ceiya's words became soft. "Am I not charismatic enough? Wise? Powerful? Caring? I gave them _back_ to you- I can share you with them-"

Zelda let out a noise of protest as she backed away in disgust.

"Oh don't play dumb! You're drawn to the darkness!" Ceiya grew annoyed. "I've seen you in universes where you were a tyrant, or even espoused to one of _them_! Hell, in one alternative era, they were your _enemies_ , so why are they any different?!" He waved his staff out at Zelda and sent a blast of magic into her chest before she realized what just happened.

A pain suddenly bursted inside her chest as her blood became both fire and ice. Zelda wanted to scream, but she felt like she was suffocating at the same time, and all she could do was collapse to the ground on her hands and knees.

"I observed your precious Shadow and came up with something wonderful." Ceiya told her as he knelt to her level. "Unfortunately, there aren't that many negative qualities in your heart, but I could feel your anger... your sorrow..." Ceiya cupped Zelda's chin and whispered. "Your _despair_."

What was Ceiya doing to her?!

There was sharp tug and suddenly it felt like something was tearing apart inside of her. It was only then that Zelda could scream, and it echoed all around her as the only sensation that made her aware that she was alive, other than the agony within.

As a darkness pooled out under Zelda, her mind slowly became blank, and she barely registered what was around her.

"I'm going to set you free." Ceiya gently told Zelda as he moved into her shoulder to take in her scent. "I'm going to let you give in... and then, once you become whole..." Ceiya then kissed the spot between Zelda's neck and shoulder. "...You will truly be mine."

Eyes that were blue as the sky slowly bleed out to reveal a deep red.

-Stage 12-

It had taken more time than any of them desired, but after quickly dropping off the Hylian Princess, her tutor, and Sunny (who would try to seek out help from Saria) and regaining the ever eager to help Goron army back in their team, the Army found themselves at the base of a strange place of architecture: a temple where the floors were off balance every level or two. The sky was an odd color, and it was hard to tell if it was misty or if dusk had already fallen.

"So... Ceiya is a big fan of gardening?" Darunia raised an eyebrow at the large hedges that seemed to surround the pathways and the dark, withered looking rose bushes were deep red roses and occasionally an electric blue bloomed out.

"Those roses are rather humongous." Sir Winslow commented.

"Yeah, this is a tad girly for a guy." Karane turned to Liam. "What's the deal?"

"This temple reflects the state of the owner's mind." Liam replied without looking back. "You'll see what I mean by that."

"I hope she's ok." Link nervously glanced around, before noticing Impa's gaze. "I know that she's well trained, but considering who she's most likely with-"

Impa placed a hand on Link's shoulder and gave it a tight grip while giving him a meaningful look. She seemed just as troubled, but she gave Link a small smile of reassurance.

"Well, at least we're coming to her rescue." Ruto gave the roses a melancholic stare. "At least we're actually able to help _your_ Zelda before it's too late..."

"Why do you say that?" Bethany turned her head in curiosity. Before Ruto could speak, there was a strange noise as if someone had been punched in the gut, and they glanced to see that a very masked Zant was frozen to the spot.

"Those statues..." His voice was stiff and full of disbelief.

The pathway was lined with multiple pure white marble statues of the same beautiful female wolf on both their sides. "Yeah, so?" A knight glanced to Zant with a raised eyebrow.

Zant forced himself to continue on, but he continued to give the statues a glance now and then.

The group finally reached the end of the pathway and entered the front courtyard. Here there was a marble fountain that produced a pinkish looking water from it's faucets where three young woman. Each one was beautifully sculpted to utmost perfection, and special care was put into their faces. Though each one was differently dressed in ethereal looking dresses and each one was in a different pose- one was gently holding an ocarina to her lips, another sternly gazed out into the distance as the wolf from the pathway curled around her legs, while the one in the center held a sword up into the sky.

"Holy-!" Darunia almost cursed when he recognized the girl playing the ocarina and even Ruto flinched at the sight. "That's _our_ Zelda!"

Agitha giggled at the sight of the Zelda of her era, but Zant felt sick to his stomach at the familiar sight.

"So..." Impa glanced to the Zelda at the center. "Then that one is-"

"-My Mistress." Ghirahim realized with a jolt. So far, he liked this place, which fitted his tastes, but he had no clue what to make of the fact that he was seeing _another_ vision of the girl who was destined to wield a very _familiar_ looking sword.

Bethany let out a low whistle. "Man, talk about a stalker shrine! The guy went all out on this fountain!"

"Uh... what else does he have in this temple?!" Geode nervously glanced to Liam. "Just- just to know how bad-"

"Whoa, whoa, buddy!" Groose shot a warning look. "We're all adults here, but not everyone likes talking about this stuff! What kind of things would you keep of the person that _you_ got a crush on?"

"Ugh!" Bethany shivered in disgust, as did a few others.

" _So I take it that you don't like my home."_ Cieya's voice rang out across the courtyard.

Almost immediately, everyone readied their weapons, and the collective death glares they sent out could have killed an entire kingdom.

"What did you do to Zelda?!" Link angrily yelled out as he held his sword ready. "Are you after her Triforce, or are you after her as your prize?!"

" _Oh it's the royal thorn in my side."_ Ceiya's voice grumbled. _"You're more annoying to the eyes than your counterpart was. Great idea, but really stupid, considering I can see the timelines and all."_

"Ceiya, give back Zelda, or we'll go on in!" Liam stepped next to Link and his onto his book for support.

" _Ceiya give back Zelda or we'll go on in!"_ Ceiya repeated Liam in an innocent mock tone before snickering. " _Ah, you do realize that's what I'm counting on, right? Anyway, it's too late to give her back... at least in one piece."_

"What does that mean?!" Impa felt a nervous fear in her being, but she kept her calm.

" _Hmm, how about a little game?"_ Ceiya's voice rang out. _"See, the Hero's soul has carried a lot of anger and I was more than willing to let it spill out."_ He took in a sharp breath. " _She's not very happy with some of you._ " He slightly taunted in a condescending tone.

" _If you want to get her, then try to disable all six of my magic keeps, which are spread throughout the temple. So, you know the drill: get past my army, storm the temple, try to get into my main chamber at the center, and see if you can save her, by defeating her."_

"...What?" Ruto voiced everyone's confusion.

" _Ladies and Gentlemen!"_ Ceiya's voice rang out in excitement like an emcee at a show or a barker at a carnival. _"Spirit, Goron, Zora, Twili, and etc.! Tonight, I will present a special encore for a select few lucky audience members! Say hello to the past, present, and future, for the main event is split into an accursed three! Gentlemen: commence the slaughter!"_

In bursts of magic, several monsters appeared within the courtyard and approached the army before they could have time to think, but they had time to act.

"FOR ZELDA!" Bethany yelled out and held her bow high, in her attempt to raise their spirits.

"FOR ZELDA!" Groose yelled as he and one division ran to the left, while the hollering gradually ran out across the army for the name of their captured friend and fellow warrior as they charged into the fray.

"Wait, come back!" Liam yelled, but it was futile, as most of that part of the army had already stormed ahead in the heat of the battle. He quickly turned and yelled "Half you you left, and I'll head right!"

"I'll go lead the left!" Link raced in said direction, with half the army, including Impa at his side. Liam wasted no time in racing towards the other half, followed by a large group of people itching for a fight.

Throughout the temple both sides clashed in a struggle. It did not help that the number of re-dead knights had increased, but it seemed as if all the opposing sides from the timelines had joined together to fight against the Hylian army.

"These guys seem to have a lot more power than we're used to!" Darunia grimaced to Geode as they raced charged through the halls.

"Well, we've all been re-grouping together, Darunia sir!" Geode hastily sent a blast of fire at a few bokoblins. "So they must have done the same!"

Ceiya, meanwhile, was observing the fighting from a series of mirrors that were set up inside his chamber. He noticed the Hylian prince and growled in irritation.

"So, the royal brat decides he's going to play hero and rescue his 'princess' is he?" Ceiya slammed the end of his scepter into the ground and yelled into the crystal. "Re-deads! Get the green warrior who wields the dual handled sword!"

"We have to capture those keeps immediately!" Impa warned Link as they were oblivious to the danger waiting for the latter. "Otherwise the number will multiply!"

"I'll take a different route, you go ahead!" Link yelled back.

"It's too dangerous to go alone!" Impa protested.

"I know, but you have to trust me this time!" Link yelled as he cut away from Impa and charged out in a different direction and swung his sword though the hordes of monsters, as he ran past multiple Gorons and Ruto who was drowning her own batch of opponents with her water magic.

"We owe you one." Link hissed in prayer for his blonde haired commander as he tried to get to her as fast as possible. "This time, we're coming to help you!"

Suddenly, he felt a strange feeling fall upon him and he almost stumbled to a halt as he choked on a gasp of air. It felt eerie, but what was strange was that it felt familiar... like a nightmare waiting in his sleep.

"Something is coming." He shuddered as Proxy flew to his side and turned to face him. "Proxy, have you found anything yet?!"

"There's a chamber just up ahead!"

"Thanks!" Link forced himself to continue on ahead, despite the overwhelming feeling of dread.

He was not the only one who felt the strange presence. At this point, two of the chambers had been found, and the one person who was able to clear it out on his own in sadistic glee suddenly came to a stop when he sensed it.

"Demise?"

What first concerned Ghirahim was the dimming, yet curiously changing presence of the golden haired commander. Then, he felt an impossibility: if Demise was supposed to have been defeated in this era... then why did it feel like he was coming towards them all?

"SON OF A-"

Ghirahim noticed that the prince was being ambushed by the bunch of re-deads. One of them let out a white miasma and a blood curdling howl that froze the green tunic wearing young man to the spot and cut him of mid-curse.

Ghirahim merely snapped his fingers with a sigh and sent a dagger right through the head of the undead creature. Upon death, the re-dead's spell over the prince unfroze him and allowed him to continue on his way, while the sword spirit could focus on other matters.

"Keep it up!" Liam cheered on the knights of Hyrule after claiming a keep. "We'll sever the connections in no time flat!"

"Gods, kid, give it a rest, we know!" A middle aged knight groaned as he tried to hurry it up and catch up to his fellow men.

"WHOO!" A much younger female knight cheered as she out ran the middle aged knight while swinging a club in her hand. "THIS IS AWESOME!"

"Well, I'm not the only one trying to keep the morale up." Liam merely shrugged, before sending a spell at a re-dead.

"GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME!" Sidian howled as a re-dead that managed to get onto him tried to bite at his back, but was failing due to the fact that Gorons were not the same as Hylians.

"Here!" A Goron smacked the re-dead off him and proceeded to beat it to a pulp.

"I HATE re-deads!" Sidian growled. The other Goron cheekily replied "But it just wanted to give you a hug-"

"SHUT UP!"

Time gradually passed, and one by one the keeps fell and the ties were severed. Most of the re-deads were after Link, who knew how to defeat them, but he could not shake off the increasing dread that was inside him. What was coming for all of them, while their champion was missing?

Ceiya was too caught up in the battle to notice the oncoming threat. He noticed that most of the keeps were down at this point- one more to go and then that was it.

"It looks like I kept them waiting long enough, my dear." Ceiya glanced to the motionless figure, who was now laying down on a narrow grey marble alter decorated with thorny vines and roses. His eyes glanced up to the shadowy figures that loomed over her and gave her a blank look with their red eyes.

"Anger... sorrow... guilt." He quietly whispered, before he raised the staff up. "All that which you tried to suppress towards them all... you are now free to let them go!" He swung the staff out.

Zelda let out a scream as purple and black fire escaped from her heart and entered the shadowed figures, which then vanished to go to their respectful positions.

-Darunia and Ruto-

"Hey there fish cakes!" Darunia chuckled as he caught up to Ruto, who scowled.

"Call me that one more time rock head, and I'll flood all of Goron City!" Ruto snapped back, but the Goron laughed as they entered another chamber.

Ruto was the first to notice that there were no monsters in this chamber. All except a dark familiar who looked very familiar to her.

"ZELDA?!" She skidded to a halt and Darunia almost tumbled to the ground.

"What do you mean?!" He demanded.

"Darunia, it's _our_ Zelda!" Ruto pointed with a disbelieving finger. "The Zelda from _our_ time period! Or at least I think it's her!"

Both Ruto and Darunia stared at the dark duplicate of the Hero of Time. Her body was covered in red scars, but the most predominant one was what appeared to be a large burn on her left leg.

The dark Hero of Time glanced up to the Zora and the Goron. Her eyes burned with anger as she spoke in a voice that sounded like a whisper and an echo rolled in one.

"I sacrificed my childhood for _your_ sakes." She hissed in accusation. "I put my life on the line to help your tribes, and you did _nothing_ to contribute to the cause."

Darunia gave Ruto a nervous glance. "This... this is a joke, right?"

"I saw a future where you both died!" Zelda roared as she took her sword out and pointed it at them. "I had to make a sacrifice in exchange for the safety of your people!" She growled at Darunia. "You expected me to prove my worth at Dodongo's Cavern, instead of helping me out! You could have put your pride aside and helped me, so that you could live and use the megaton hammer to defeat Volvagia, but you didn't!"

Darunia could not respond to that. He knew a little of the other timeline, but to hear her blame him about things that he knew that he could have done differently-

"And you!" Zelda spat at Ruto. "Little miss stuck up _bitch_! You did nothing to help me in Jabu-Jabu's belly and expected me to carry you around, while you accused me of taking away your 'fiancé'!"

"That was a long time ago!" Ruto protested as she cringed at the memory of when she used to be such a brat. "I was just a kid!"

"You left me behind in the Water Temple!" Zelda continued. "You could have helped me and Ivan, but you were impatient! And you _died_!"

Ruto flinched at this.

"And after all I did for you- after all the hell I endured when I came back-!" Zelda gritted her teeth as she threw her hands out. "-I was hoping you guys would stop Ganondorf in time! _Except you didn't come to my aid in time, and everyone in the forest died_! And what do I find, once the timeline was corrupted _again_?!" Zelda howled. "You spat and pointed fingers at each other! Farore, why did I even bother for you?! And the worst part is that the _one_ person who always stuck by my side that whole time- the _one_ person I could rely on and who would go through hell and back for me- isn't here! Instead I get you ungrateful idiots!"

"We had no idea what was going on!" Ruto half pleaded and half protested as she held her hands out. "Zelda, please-"

"NO!" Zelda snapped as she readied her sword. "It's too late!" She charged forward and readied her sword.

-Zant-

"KEYAH HA HAHAHAHA!" Zant laughed in glee as he continuously spun around and slaughtered the countless of tens of many monsters in his room. Once he felt ill, he had to slow down and catch his breath, while the world (and his stomach) still spun around him.

"...Alright, who's next?!" He called out as he threw his scimitars out. "Come at me!"

" _Zant_."

He flinched when he heard that voice. No... it couldn't...

He turned to see a darkened version of the Hero of Twilight... of his Lady Wolf. Her right hand bore an angry red mark in the shape of her Triforce- of the stigma she once hated, because of the trouble it caused her in her life- and her eyes were a mix of melancholy and anger.

"I'm hallucinating." He tried to assure himself with the statement as a deathly calm fell over him. "This is another trick to get at me. I'm still-"

"You _left_ me, Zant." Zelda harshly growled. "I lost my parents, I thought I was going to lose my friends and family, I thought I lost Link- and you had to go and separate our worlds without consulting me!" She pointed an accusing finger at him. "Was our friendship _nothing_ to you?!"

"This is just a dream!" Zant tried to laugh this off as he frantically shook his head. "None of this is real! You're supposed to be dead in this era! You aren't my Lady Wolf!"

"Why didn't you trust us enough! Trust _me_ enough?!" Zelda took her sword out as she continued to spill out all that anger upon him. "Everything could have been perfect- light and shadow could have interacted, and we could have atoned for our sins! But you thought that I couldn't make my own decisions! You're just like my parents! Just like this stupid curse placed upon me! Why do I have to keep losing what's important to me?!"

"I never thought that you were incapable, you ungrateful brat!" Zant snarled. "I did what was best for both our worlds! I didn't want to leave you behind! It killed me when I had to deceive you! You who broke my heart when you spoke of coming back to the Twilight Realm with Colin, when you should have known why that couldn't of worked-"

Zelda swung her sword out, but Zant quickly blocked it.

"So that's what you want, Zelda?!" Zant growled. "Fine! I always wanted to fight you, and I finally get my wish!"

And so, he unleashed his fury upon the dark version of his companion, who blocked each frantic swing of the scimitar without losing a breath.

-Ghirahim-

His long tongue licked his blade and he could taste the combinations of varying monster blood upon it. So much variety in this era! He almost couldn't get enough of this bloodshed, and he couldn't have asked for more.

He let out a deep, almost intoxicated sigh and turned around, only to come face to face with a lone figure in the room. He raised an eyebrow in confusion: it was a dark version of the soon to be Hylia's Champion from his era, and yet there was a dagger jabbed through each of her palms and a blade was sticking through her torso.

"What happened to you, girl?" He demanded. "Had too much fun with the sword, did you?"

The girl slowly raised her head up and gave him a sad look. "Demise disregarded you, didn't he? He tossed you aside, like you were nothing."

Ghirahim flinched at this as the dark memories threatened to come back to him. "How do you know this?!" He snarled as he tried to force them all down.

"Because you are going to tell me when you think that I will have abandoned you." She answered. "And Hylia disregarded me: he doesn't care about his pawns, as long as they fulfill their role. Nobody told me that I should just kill _her_ if she was going to cause so much trouble... look what she's going to do to me." She gestured to the sword in her body with a dagger-stabbed hand.

"And why should I care about your fate?" Ghirahim flicked his hand out as he wondered who she was referring to. "It's war, what would you expect? It looks like you'll get a clean death, which I would not offer if it were up to me."

The girl gave him a dark glare and held her hands up for him to see. "Because you will scream in anguish when this happens. You will care more about me than your own life, and you will be the only one to make a real sacrifice on my behalf." She then bit down on one of the daggers lodged in her hands and pulled at it as if it were like a stick in the sand. Ghirahim had to admit that despite his favored means of torture, the nonchalant way she did this move without flinching was unsettling.

She finally pulled the dagger out and spat it aside, where it clattered to the ground. "We can still change the timeline." She continued as she used a now free hand to pull the other dagger out. "You will get your revenge, we can kill the one person who will always get in our way, we can get revenge on Hylia and his reincarnation... and you get your freedom, like I will promise you."

When she said 'reincarnation', Ghirahim suddenly thought of the young commander. The girl with fire in her veins, who could charm her men through her music... the girl who might not- _could_ not exist, if the timeline would be altered.

And the other two girls that were depicted in perfect marble in the courtyard... the one with the wolf and the other with the ocarina... why did he suddenly feel an unexpected and annoying twinge of fear for them?

"And what of the ones who will come after you?" He asked. "These future heroes and the commander?"

The girl gave him a very cold glare.

"There is no other-" She stated as she pulled the sword out of her body- she grabbed the handle and pulled it out from her back, and when it was completely free, she held it out. "-THERE HAS ONLY BEEN ME, GHIRAHIM! ALWAYS ME!"

Ghirahim sighed and shook his head as he took his sword out. "Oh dear. I see that you really couldn't get enough of me and you refuse to share- I do hope that you are worth the attention."

-?-

...Who am I? Where did I come from?

My name... my name is Zelda...Yes, my name is Zelda! I was born in Skylo-

No, that's not right... I was born... somewhere in Hyrule...

I grew up... I grew up with the Kokiri... Saria was my best friend... Mido always picked on me for as long- No I used to live in the Castle Town... and then my father left me and my mother... she-

-Ordon Village, with Rusl, Uli, and Colin. My sweet little foster brother-

Oh Goddesses, why is this difficult?! Why can't I think clearly?!

Mother is teaching me to play the harp- yes, that's it! We are singing together and I am gazing out at a loftwing filled sky...

...Link... Link was my childhood friend... no, he's the prince! We met when we were kids, and he carried Volvagia- no we were almost adults!

Oh goddesses, what's wrong with my memories?!

" _Hush a-bye, you may close your eyes, you are safe with me at your side. Don't you fear, I am here, my dear, where you may dream. Should we become apart,_

 _know that your in my heart. Never forget my dove."_

Mother, is that you? Someone once sang that lullaby to me, but who- someone I loved wrote it for me. He said it was my lullaby... He said the song was hidden in the Ballad-

" _My name is Ivan. The Great Deku Tree asked me to be your partner from now on and-_

Who is Ivan?

" _Zelda, it's my duty to watch out for you, tell you what I can, and question the logic of the world- including why the anatomy of a fish deity is like a dungeon."_

Why do you fill me with sadness? And what are you talking about?

" _Born of light, born of night_. _The wolf howls in the twilight, hidden from their eyes, in the dark, in the dark. Born of light, born of night, the wolf howls in the twilight, the sun then sets and they know, then, who we are."_

Zant?! Oh Nayru, Zant... why did he not warn me that he was going to destroy the-

" _You enjoyed this battle using another sword!" His eye narrowed. "Do you have any idea how that makes me feel, mistress?" He sneered the title he gave to me, and it actually felt like a pain to the chest._

I didn't know! You could have told me! Hylia, he was so childish with that jealousy of his! How would I know that he would get so angry over the fact that I used a different-

" _Your fire burns with such passion." He grinned as he walked towards me. "Yet it's against my nature to abandon you now. As I said before, I have come to terms with the past, and, unfortunately for my old master, I have grown too fond of you to let you die."_

 _-_ Oh Hylia... why didn't I kill _her_? What kept me from doing it?!

 _I... I knew... no... I was a... what was I going to be?_

" _It's going to take a lot more than a passion for music to get into the Opera house. You need to have studied at a specific kind of academy, which you clearly haven't."_

" _Finding a stone that has yet to be unturned is a rarity nowadays. The age of adventuring is coming to an end."_

" _Really? That's all your good at? Just fighting with a sword and singing along with an instrument or two?"_

YES! I mean no!

...Am I destined to never fulfill my dreams? Am I doomed to always go up against demon kings?

I wish that I had better foresight and prevented this cursed chain... I wish that I hadn't pulled the Master Sword out and let Ganondorf in... I wish that I was stronger and saw what had to be done, so that I wasn't caught off guard...

Suddenly everything goes black.

-present-

She was now an altered version of herself: her blonde hair was now black, and her pinks and golds were replaced with red, black and cold silver. On her head was a silver crown of what might as well have been knives and she was almost as pale as the snow... she looked more like a corpse that had just died.

"And now for your _precious_ soul mate." Ceiya hissed as he stroked the now raven black hair of his prize.

-Link-

Why was that feeling increasing?!

Link noticed when he passed a room that a dark version of Zelda was fighting with the others. He had no idea what Ceiya was up to, but he needed to get back to the front, to be ready- he was already in the gardens, when he heard her voice.

"You."

Link turned to see Zelda. Much like when he was Shadow, she was covered in darkness, with only her red eyes piercing through the veil in anger at him.

Deep down, he could have sworn he heard a low whistle of approval from the back of his mind, but he shuddered when he realized just how bitter the dark Zelda sounded.

"I don't care if you are a prince, a knight, or a god." She hissed. "You chose me to play your errand girl! You didn't tell me that you would fake your death in the era of the Twilight... you took my childhood from me and sent me to my seven year sleep... you lied and manipulated me from even before I was born! You are heartless and cruel!" She spat.

"What... what are you saying?" Link nervously held his blade out.

"You take everything I hold dear!" She cried. "My life, my freedom, my companions' fates- you took advantage of me for more times than I could ever count!" Tears ran down from her face and burned her skin, which turned red at the contact. "And you selfishly made it so that I am forever stuck to you! Because of you, I have to live in an endless chain, destined to fight Ganondorf until the end of time, because you never truly cared about how I would feel when you were still Hylia! What kind of monster are you?! It always has to be you, doesn't it?! DOESN'T IT?!"

Link flinched at her outburst.

How in Nayru's name could he respond to her when he barely knew what she meant and yet had a thought about was going through her head? Was this Ceiya's true intention? To bring them all down through Zelda's resentment towards them all?

Was this how all those past Zeldas truly felt? Why did he feel an overwhelming sense of guilt in his heart?

"Zelda... is this the truth?" Link asked. "Tell me: I promised that I could lend an ear if you needed someone to talk to."

Zelda hesitated, before letting out a weak laugh. "The funny thing is that I wonder if this was all your fault too, your Highness."

"Yes, it _is_ my fault, princess!" Link admitted. "I was an idiot! My pride got the best of me because I thought I didn't need anyone, and I lied to you all! I didn't even try to tell you what happened to me, because I was scared, but I wanted to help everyone! Did I ever deliberately hurt you for any of it?! Well if I didn't say anything earlier and lost my part of the Triforce because of it, then yes, it is all of my fault!"

Suddenly, something in the back of his head was screaming at him to look behind. Even the dark version of Zelda suddenly flinched as her eyes widened in fear. "..N..no... not... not now." She pleaded.

"Oh, but I'm afraid the time has come for us to meet once more." A deep voice resonated.

Link slowly turned around to come face to face with Ganondorf himself.

Without even hesitating, Link drew his sword out again.

The demon king let out an amused laugh. "Want to play the hero and face me, boy? I recall that your past attempts never ended so well."

Link gritted his teeth in anger, but he forced himself to retreat away, as the dark version of Zelda suddenly vanished. He had to get everyone out of there, and fast!

Ganondorf seemed like a huge guy, but Link was much faster than him and began to run for it.

-Ceiya's chambers-

"He's here?!" Ceiya yelled out in disbelief. "I thought I locked him up!"

With bitter reluctance, he called back the darkened fragment of Zelda's soul that was closest to Ganondorf and sent it back in the shell of her former self. He had no intention of letting Ganondorf get anywhere near the girl he had desired for so long, even if it was a fraction of who she was.

Or the Triforce.

"I am not letting him get the Triforce of Power or Courage!" Ceiya yelled into his staff. "All hordes go after Ganondorf! As to my dear girls: stay and face your respective opponents and crush their spirits!"

-Link-

"EVERYONE GET OUT OF HERE!" Link yelled as loudly as he could. Even as he ran down the halls and hordes of monsters kept coming, he willed himself to yell with all the volume and energy of an annoying fairy that couldn't shut up.

"FOR NAYRU'S SAKE, EVERYONE RETREAT NOW!" He yelled as he nervously turned back. He could sense that Ganondorf was coming for him... coming to claim his revenge upon his lineage and for his third of the Triforce. "GANONDORF IS HERE!"

Why of all times did he have to show up now?!

"Link?!" Liam hurried out to see why Link was so desperate to change the tide of the battle, while Proxy flew out from the other side.

"GANONDORF!" Link angrily yelled.

That was all Liam needed to start panicking.

"Oh god, where are the others?!" He looked around as Proxy flew towards him.

"I'm not giving up until we save Zelda!" Proxy swore. "I don't know why, but there are several dark versions of her in the temple!"

Liam paused.

"YOU IDIOT!" Liam yelled in anger at Ceiya and turned to go find his dark counterpart, before more hell could brake loose, while Proxy flew after him.

-Zant-

"Let's get out of here!" Ashei yelled at Zant, who was busy trying to fight off his Zelda, while she was trying to lead some of her men out of the halls. "Ganondorf is here!"

Her warning fell on deaf ears as Zant tried to shot orbs of magic at Zelda, who merely ran away and ultimately ducked, before he could charge ahead with arms behind him and swing the blades in an arc at her, but she leapt away.

"STOP TORMENTING ME WITH GUILT, YOU FOUL SPIRIT!" He screamed at her.

"Lady Ashei, let's go!" One of the knights led Agitha through the corridors by the hand and the noble girl gave the fighting in the other room a mournful glance.

"Sir Knight..." She pleaded with an upset look on her face.

"Screw this!" Ashei ran off down the corridor, and the knight was forced to pull Agitha away from the scene.

Zant laughed as the girl rushed in to attack. "Yes- let's destroy our memories!" He encouraged as he finally made a deep gash against her stomach and she collapsed. "Let's let the madness wash it all away!"

"Gods, what did I ever see in you?!" Zelda spat as she pushed herself off the ground and lunged her blade at him.

-Ghirahim-

Another wave of daggers were knocked back with the blade.

"This is the best you can do?" The dark Zelda narrowed her eyes at Ghirahim. "One moment you stalk your prey, then the next you let loose your bloodlust: make up your mind!"

"Ah, but you must be quite the prey if I am to serve you!" Ghirahim grinned. "If this is what you will become, then I wonder just how blood crazed I made you."

Zelda gritted her teeth and charged forward, sword in hand. Ghirahim laughed when she saw that she raised it up and he made to lift his hand to block the attack, when she suddenly swung it in a different direction and he felt a jab through his left shoulder.

"You don't telegraph your attacks!" Zelda snarled as she twisted the blade in his shoulder. "I was taught by the best after all!"

Ghirahim gave the girl an incredible death glare as the annoying sensation of being hurt bothered his shoulder and before he could act, the dark shadow pulled the blade out and took several steps away from him.

"You... have stepped... on quite a nerve." He growled as the wound on his shoulder turned black and took on a cracked glass appearance. He held his sword out. "I'm going to lop off that pretty little head of yours!"

-Ruto and Darunia-

Zelda would not give them rest.

Like a wild animal, she continuously swung her blade at the Goron and the Zora. If one made to block, she would go after the other, and, as if she could sense them from behind, was somehow able to avoid each molten rock thrown at her, or run away from the oncoming title waves.

"What the heck is with this trick?!" Ruto yelled as she tried to hurt Zelda with a whirlpool of water, but the girl leaped out of the way.

"STAY STILL!" Darunia yelled as he tried to swing his hammer. "Not all of us are built to be fast on our feet!"

The dark girl let out a cruel laugh. "Was that your excuse for your lack of aid?! No wonder your stubbornness lasted into my successor's era!"

"Hey that wasn't nice!" Ruto snarled.

"Said the girl who knows nothing about being nice!" Zelda snarled back as she slashed out at her.

"Why can't you stop and listen to us?!" Darunia pleaded.

"NO!" Zelda turned to Darunia and attacked him. "I AM DONE LISTENING TO YOU!" She made a cut into one of his biceps and he hissed out in pain, but he was still able to block an attack. "LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE IN YOUR PITIFUL LIVES!"

Ruto gritted her teeth and readied a spell. A blast of water knocked Zelda to the side, away from Darunia, without her being aware of it.

"WELL MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD US!" She snapped.

"YOU HAVE A LOT OF GUTS TO SAY THAT!" Zelda yelled after she got back up and pointed her sword at Ruto. "I GAVE YOU MY FILL AFTER I FINISHED OFF BARINADE AND YOU DARE TO THINK THAT I KEPT SILENT OUT OF NECESSITY AT ANY OTHER TIME?!"

-Liam and Poxy-

"CEIYA!"

Ceiya turned to see a very enraged blue haired counterpart rush in as a fairy flew to the alter where Zelda laid down.

"I know what you are doing!" Liam held his book out. "You're doing what our family did to Ganondorf, but you are forcing her to live all her past lives at once!"

"Not now!" Ceiya let out an animal like snarl at Liam. "Can't you see we have a common enemy at the moment?!"

"Ceiya, stop this!" Liam pleaded. "You can't do this to her- you'll drive her mad and break her!"

"I'm setting her free!" Ceiya yelled in exasperation. "She has a right to gain back what she has lost! I have done more for her than either you or Link did! I will merge her back into one again and she will finally give me her love!"

"This isn't love!" Liam scowled in disgust. "This is possession, Ceiya! This is abuse on a scale you can't comprehend!"

"You want this too! You are me, remember?!" Ceiya pointed out.

"No I don't, because I am the opposite of you!" Liam swore with anger. "I do love her, but I could never bring myself to go to the extent that you've gone to!"

"Then I have no need for you!" Ceiya threw a burst of magic at Liam, who quickly blocked it, and a fight between the two sorcerers ensued.

"Zelda?!" Proxy flew over his companion's head. "Can you hear me?! It's Proxy! We need you to wake up! I need you to wake up!"

-?-

That voice... I... Ivan?

-present-

"I... Ivan?" Zelda's voice came out in a longing filled croak.

"It's _Proxy_!" The fairy almost screamed. "Zelda they need you! Ganondorf is going to go after us all if you can't wake up!"

He glanced to the Master Sword, which remained on the ground. "What can I do?!" He pleaded to it. "I'm just a fairy! I can only send messages to everyone! That's all I'm good for!" He glanced back to Zelda with a determined air.

"Zelda, whatever Ceiya is doing to you, you can't give into it! You are stronger than you think! Fight his control! If you can hear me then _FIGHT_!"

-?-

"Do you hear his voice?"

I finally make out an image of a little cherub of a blonde girl in pink and white, with a sword at her back and a red brooch on her vest. It was me- no, it wasn't me. Her blue eyes shone with a strange brilliance as she walked towards me.

Who is this girl that is familiar and yet not quite?

She looked like me as a young- no she looked like a young version of the Hero of Time.

"I am the innocence you thought was lost to you- the child who fell in love with the stories as she grew up." She smiled. "I am the light that Ceiya neglected to remove from you. I am the ribbon that binds each of your incarnations together as one- I am your kindness, your courage, and your determination all rolled into one. As long as I am inside you- as long as you can maintain your courage, wisdom and power- then you cannot give into the darkness."

But my soul... I can feel them fighting with my allies... with their companions... I want to cry... I want to be angry at myself-

"Make them see!" The girl pleaded as she pressed her hands to my face. "Call for them! They have always been there for us! You had to do so much on your own, and you know that they have their regrets- now let them return the favor! Let them give us strength!"

...They... they are right.

...I have to wake up!

-Present-

Zelda's eyes snapped open and glanced briefly to Proxy.

"A message..." Her voice came out in a raspy tone.

Despite that she felt like a huge octorock was sitting on her chest, she forced herself to roll off the alter and the thorns scratched her arms in the process. The impact hurt her body, but she had to force herself to get to the Master Sword.

"Zelda?!" Proxy panicked. "What are you doing?!"

"Listen to me..." She pleaded as she slowly crawled to the sword like it was a beacon of hope. "Remember... remember our friendships... remember what they meant to you." She closed her eyes and willed herself to re-connect to her former lives.

 _Sword training back at the academy with Ghirahim... Darunia dancing... the moment you willingly carried Ruto on your back... trying to stop Zant from killing Skull Kid over an insult._

-Ghirahim-

The dark Zelda suddenly let out a pained cry and her sword dropped from her hands as she grabbed her hair.

"Wh- who are you?!" She demanded in fear as Ghirahim hesitantly drew his sword out to his chest in a horizontal direction. "Wh-my-my head -it-"

She stopped, and seconds passed before she lowered her hands from her head. Then, as if she were like paper, new colors bleed into the darkness to reveal her true from: a pink wearing maiden with pink and green ribbons in her golden hair.

"Now what trickery is this?" Ghirahim asked in boredom as the girl raised her head up and peered at him in amazement with sky blue eyes.

"Ghirahim..." She breathlessly whispered. "I...I know you don't know who I am yet, but..." She gave him a sad, but happy smile. "Thank you- thank you for always being there for me when I needed you. Even when I didn't know about it."

Ghriahim shot the girl a confused look. "Wait- what?"

"My future incarnation is down there!" Zelda pointed the way. "And Ghirahim?" She laughed. "Look forward to meeting me! I promise I'm going to be worth the long sleep!"

She then dissolved into a red light which then speed off into the direction she pointed.

Ghirahim hummed in thought, before he ran off after the light.

"Hey wait!" Impa called out when she saw him leave. "Where are you going?! We need to get out of here!"

When he didn't respond, she was forced to chase after him. "I hate living weapons!" She hissed.

-Ruto and Darunia-

"RIGHHHIGH!" The angry shadow was about to swing out at Darunia when she suddenly came to a stop.

Darunia hesitantly held his hammer in front of him, while Ruto slowly walked towards his side while her wrists were pressed together and hands held outward.

The dark Zelda suddenly changed form, and the darkness washed away to reveal a blonde haired girl dressed in pinks and whites. Sapphire eyes blinked, before they glanced to Darunia and Ruto- both didn't lose their positions, in case she would retaliate.

"I... I am so sorry." She hung her head in shame. "I was just... so _angry_ at you guys."

And then they finally recognized their friend who should have still been back in their own timeline with her prince, instead of here.

"No." Ruto lowered her hands. "We are. We should have known better."

"And even when the threat was all over, we still acted like fools." Darunia grimaced. "What kind of people did we turn into?"

"It's not too late to save this future." The Zelda of their time pointed a finger to a corridor. "Save their Zelda- if anything, make it up to her, before she loses her freedom to that monster." She pleaded, before she turned into a green light that shot in the direction she pointed.

Ruto and Darunia shared a confused look, but their instincts told them to obey and they hurried off in that direction.

-Zant-

Zant tried to catch his breath as the dark Zelda slowly walked towards him, but then she came to a stop.

"...Wait... this isn't how I wanted it to go." She murmured.

Zant looked up as the girl changed and like the sun, the darkness was chased from her form to reveal the lighter version that Zant remembered. The one whose eyes were a blueish purple and had the look of the wolf in them.

"Oh Nayru..." She gasped as she looked at Zant. "Zant, I'm sorry, I didn't mean any of that!"

"And how do I know that you aren't a fake too?!" Zant spat. "Your false pity won't move me!"

"Because," Zelda put her hands on her hips. "I'll start calling you Lizard Face like Skull Kid did all those years ago! Oh, by the way- yes, you did get your revenge on him _by using my brother as your underling_!" She angrily spat.

Zant was rendered speechless. No... no it couldn't be- but-

"...L...La..Lady Wolf?" He asked as his helmet came off.

His Lady Wolf lost her composure and rushed to his side before she threw her arms around him and drew him in a tight hug.

"I was- I- I could understand why-!" She sobbed into his frame. "I couldn't understand why you did it at first, but then I knew- and I never forgot! I told everyone, just like I promised!"

Slowly Zant lifted his arms, before he tightly returned the gesture.

"I know." He quietly answered. "You married that boy and your lineage lives on in your descendants and in your successor."

Zelda let out a weak laugh. "You must have had a good laugh over that!"

Zant chuckled. "Indeed I did."

The spirit of the Hero of Twilight let go of the Twilight King and drew away from him. "I have to go back to her..." She began as her eyes continued to tear up. "I know we aren't the same, but she still needs you...But I'm glad that least I had the chance to say good-bye." She forced a smile as tears fell from her eyes. "And thank you- for everything. For that adventure, for helping me... just... for _everything_."

Zant could do nothing but watch on as his Lady Wolf turned into a blue light and flew off.

"...The same to you, my girl." He tried to fight the pain in his heart as he raced after the spirit of his old friend.

-Ceiya's chamber-

"Come... please!" The current Zelda wheezed as she strained to hold her arm out to the Master Sword while still crawling on her belly.

"You won't do this alone!" Proxy swore as he flew at the hilt of the Master Sword. "I'm going to help!" He cried out as he grabbed the hilt and pulled it towards Zelda with all of his might.

"Pathetic!" Ceiya yelled at Liam as he sent a blast of magic into the blue haired young man's shoulder. The White Sorcerer let out a cry and grabbed his shoulder as he felt his skin blister and blacken.

"I am the dominant half!" Ceiya grinned as he slapped the handle of his staff into his hand.

Liam noticed the dark haired Zelda struggling to reach the sword. "But not the smarter half." He hissed as he forced himself to rush to her side.

Ceiya realized too late what had transpired during their fight and let out a horrified "NO!" and sent a blast of purple magic out into Liam's back. The light counterpart let out a cry when it hit his back and would have collapsed onto his stomach, had he not slammed his hands against the ground.

"No!" Liam hissed as he felt his arms jolt from the force against the ground. Proxy had moved the sword only a few inches to Zelda, who was still only a few inches away from them.

Before Ceiya could act, Liam threw himself near the center of blade and fairy and hero, grabbed the hilt of the Master Sword, and forced it into Zelda's hand.

At that exact moment, three colors of light drifted into the room from different directions and slammed right into Zelda, and knocked back Liam and Proxy.

"What the-?!" Ceiya cursed as he blocked his eyes from the light. Seconds later, he heard very familiar voices.

"Where's Zelda?!"

"What did you do to her?!"

"Oh for DIN'S SAKE!" Ceiya almost screamed as he formed soulless replicas of the dark Zelda's at her companions, while the light that covered Zelda turned into a pure golden hue.

-Link-

On the other side of the gardens, Link finally had enough of running and was now face to face with Ganondorf.

"So this is the next in a line of an avaricious family." Ganondorf wondered aloud as he drew two large, dual swords out and walked to Link. "An arrogant coward who hid himself within a cloak of shadows."

Link could not find it in himself to retort anything back as he readied his sword. He could not afford to let this man get the best of him, before he could get to the others.

Ganondorf charged ahead, and Link took action.

While it required two hands for Link to hold the dual handled blade, Ganondorf could easily lift one of his much larger blades with an inhuman ease. As Link had suspected, Ganondorf fought in the style of the Gerudo, and while the female race tended to be light on their feet, the former leader from many years ago made up for his stature with force and was more calculating in his movements. It made it much harder to land a blow on him, and it forced Link to keep an eye on both blades, in addition to his movements.

Link narrowly missed getting chopped in half by Ganondorf and the blade crashed into the ground and destroyed the stone pathway.

Link tried to go in for an attack, but Ganondorf swung his other blade out at him, and Link was forced to retreat back. Even with a shield, he could have been knocked back into the ground!

Ganondorf pulled his sword from the ground and began to charge after Link.

-?-

I could feel them- I could feel their memories swimming inside my head. It was almost too much to take in.

"It's time."

I glanced up to see the little girl grinning at me as I held onto the Master Sword for dear life. "Let us all join together as one!" She threw an open hand at me.

I threw my hand out with a sudden strength and the second I took her hand, a warmth filled my entire body.

-Present-

Liam struggled to get up and moved away from the light as Proxy joined his side while the others finished off the last of the dark clones. It was only after that, that they noticed the golden light.

"What's happening?!" Impa yelled at Liam. "What did he do to her?"

"This isn't his doing!" He responded as he nervously watched the yellow light.

The yellow light grew in size as the figure within it stood up and walked to the center of the room. Ceiya cowered in fear from it, but he was also angry at the turn of events.

"No, no, no, no NO!" Ceiya angrily yelled as everything came apart for him. "You're not supposed get your soul back like this!"

" _ **But I did."**_ A voice that sounded like a quartet of women speaking at the exact time in perfect harmony spoke. _**"You tried to expose the darkness inside me, but you failed to take out the light. The light which only one of my companions was able to reach out for."**_

The glowing light faded away to reveal a young woman in a flowing white dress, with the Master Sword in her hand. Her flowing golden hair billowed out behind her knees by an unseen draft of wind, and her skin seemed to give off a faint glow. Her only adornments were two crystal bindings in her hair and the bracelets that she wore, and yet such minimal details only emphasized her divine beauty.

Her eyes fluttered open to reveal nothing but pure whiteness as radiant as an uncorrupted full moon over Hyrule's fields and the deity's eyebrows narrowed in anger as she held her sword out at the black sorcerer. _**"NEVER-"**_ her voice sounded like thunder _**"-use me in any of your twisted ways against those I hold dear, ever again, you pitiful little boy. You can try to destroy my mind and my soul, and you can try to claim my heart but you will never be able to take away my spirit. It belongs to me and ONLY to me."**_

The deity then turned to face the others, who were rendered to utter speechlessness. Her presence and appearance was almost a complete shock, even if they weren't entirely sure who she was, if she was still supposed to be their Zelda. She gave them the complete sense that she could easily overpower them if she wanted to, and yet they didn't feel afraid of her.

" _ **Get out of here as fast as you can."**_ She warningly growled. _**"That is an order from your superior! I don't care if you wish to fight, just go and leave this accursed place, before Ganondorf comes for you all!"**_

"You heard her!" Darunia was all for it. "Let's get out of here!" He ran back from whence he came, followed quickly by Ruto and Impa. Zant ran off, but continued to give the deity a cautious glance, while Ghirahim momentarily hesitated.

" _ **That includes you!"**_ The deity warned Ghirahim, who only smirked as he glanced into the whiteness of the eyes that were rather similar to those of his spirit form.

"You know, I almost wonder if I should keep you all to myself." He replied, before rushing off after the others

The deity suddenly felt a warmth in her sword hand and glanced down to see that the Master Sword was glowing with a yellow brilliance in her grasp. _ **"Yes,"**_ She smiled at the blade. _**"Let us all work as one."**_

The deity turned and began to run down the corridors, though her dress flowed behind her, as if she was running through a wind, and she almost looked as if she were flying.

"No..." Ceiya hissed as he slowly got back up. "I... am not letting you win!" He threw his arms out. "If I can't use the darkness from her heart, then I'll draw from my own!" He threw his arms out and a dark, purple aura radiated off of him.

"Ceiya, what are you doing?!" Liam's eyes widened, but his counterpart ignored him as he summoned out more monsters to be positioned in the corridors and hallways. "You're working with magic you can't contain!"

"SHUT UP!" Ceiya's eyes were filled with a frantic madness. "I have come too far for this, and I'll be damned if you all stop me now!" He declared as he made himself vanish from his chambers.

"This obsession is going to be your undoing." Liam spoke out in sadness, before he turned and hurried to catch up with the others.

"Zelda!"

The deity glanced to the small fairy who trailed after her.

"I don't care if you're a vengeful god or a super attractive woman at the moment!" Proxy firmly told her. "I'll stay with you, for as long as you need me to!"

The deity smiled in appreciation before glancing back with a determined scowl.

"Go! Go! GO!" Elsewhere, Sir Winslow yelled as he waved everyone off as they left the gardens one by one. "Ruto, Darunia, Impa-"

"What about Zelda?!" Bethany yelled as the troops hurried out of the temple as fast as they could.

"Where's the prince?!" Impa demanded. "Has he joined up with you?!"

"We haven't seen him yet!" Orik told her. "Even if we try to find him now, it'll be too late! This whole place is built like a maze!"

Somewhere in the gardens, Link readied Din's fire and sent out a large orb of fire at his opponent, but he quickly knocked it aside as if it were a common fly and sent it right into the nearest rosebush, which combusted into flames.

Well... _that_ didn't work.

"Is that the best you can do?" Ganondorf asked as the flames spread and consumed the rosebushes.

Link merely swung his sword around and held his blade out.

"Where is your champion?" Ganondorf demanded in a slight taunting voice as he raised his blade. "Where is your golden haired savior when you need her the most?"

"With Ceiya, thanks to you!" Link spat as he charged ahead to attack. In retaliation, Ganondorf swung one of his blades into the sword and it took all of Link's strength to hold onto the handle.

Ganondorf's eyes narrowed as his opponent struggled to hold the blade back. "You really think you can defeat me on your own, can you?"

"If it means protecting them, then I'm willing to bet on it!" Link snarled.

Ganondorf moved on of his sword arms and knocked it into Link's blade. The unexpected force knocked the young man to the ground, and Ganondorf raised his sword for the finishing move.

" _ **Ganondorf."**_

Both enemies turned to see the ethereal deity in white stand right behind Ganondorf, with Proxy flying right beside her head. The deity's eyes narrowed in hatred at the man as she held the Master Sword out.

Ganondorf merely smiled at her. "Well, this is an interesting change." He sounded more amused than afraid. "I never realized your soul could take on that form." He held his blades out.

the deity charged into battle with the Master Sword in hand, and Link backed away as the demon king and the hero engaged in their first battle in decades. As if they knew how each one was going to act, both of their weapons clashed together, without landing a blow against the other.

And yet the deity that contained Zelda's souls seemed to be able to equally match up against the demon king, despite the difference in size, with an ease that not even Link was able to manage.

"YEAH!" Proxy cheered as the two opponents clashed together. "Smite him! Smite him good!"

The deity let out a cry and, upon noticing an opening when Ganondorf raised his arms, she lunged her blade forward and pierced her sword through an opening in his armor under his rib cage. Ganondorf, however, seemingly considered it an interference, and rose his swords up to strike, but a blue crystal like shield suddenly covered the deity.

Link lowered his hand back down. "Oh thank Nayru." He panted.

"Stay out of this, boy!" Ganondorf snarled. "Unless you have a death wish."

" _ **Kill him and you will suffer a fate far worse that being imprisoned for an eternity in another realm or your soul being spilt into four."**_

The deity pulled her blade out from Ganondorf's body, before plunging it into his chest armor, and through his body. The demon king let out a grunt of surprise and glanced down at the new injury.

before the deity realized what was happening, Ganondorf suddenly threw one of his swords down and his free hand became engulfed with a darkness that made his arm resemble that of a monster and knocked the deity back- sword and all.

"Zelda!" Proxy yelled in panic, but the deity hissed and got up on her feet as she held her sword out and raced in for an attack. This time, her right hand began to glow with the mark of the Triforce, along with the Master Sword, and let the connection within her merge together.

And before Ganondorf could do anything, she let out a great spin and cut through his armor and into his torso.

The demon king let out a grunt of pain and backed away, before the deity could strike again. He clutched at his injury and was slouching over, but he stared at the golden haired maiden in a newly rekindled hatred. This girl was able to injure him three times, and he now wanted to rip her head off her body and hold it out for all of Hyrule to see by her hair.

"You dare raise the blade of evil's bane to me?!" Ganondorf roared out murderously. "Then so be it: Hyrule's blood falls upon _your_ hands!"

To the deity's fury, the demon king vanished from the spot in a burst of dark magic, and she let out a scream. _ **"GET BACK HERE YOU COWARD AND FACE ME!"**_

"We have to get out of here!" Liam (who had caught the audio of the last end of the battle.) came running into the gardens. "Ceiya is sending more monsters after us!"

The deity scowled in frustration, but she followed after the white sorcerer and the prince, with Link close behind.

"Hurry up! Hurry up!" Ruto prodded Zant as he sent the army to a nearby mountain area in groups.

"Haven't you heard of patience?!" Zant snapped at her.

"Guys, wait up!" Liam yelled and those who were still left turned to see that the last of their group was coming.

"About time!" Ruto yelled. "What took you guys so long?!" But she was not granted an answer as the others used the last of their energy to get across the pathway.

They were engulfed in Twili magic, and all turned black.

-Somewhere in Hyrule-

The army finally retreated to a place between the mountains and Faron Woods. There were a few who were injured and needed attention, while others were in desperate need of supplies.

The sky was still a distortion of dark clouds and minimal sunlight, but it might as well have been a prefect reflection of what had just occurred. Such a sight was a perfect parallel to the woman who was now amongst the army.

All eyes were upon the deity who was once their Zelda: some were intimidated by the unnatural beauty with white eyes, while others were in awe. They all waited to see what she would do, as she stared at each and everyone of them and observed all that had been done for her sake.

"Z...Zelda?" Proxy was the first brave soul to dare approach the deity. She gracefully turned her head to the fairy and kindly smiled at him.

" _ **Thanks to your voice, your Zelda was inspired to join us together as one."**_ She told him as she held a hand under the fairy and gently guided him towards her. _**"You are not so different from a fairy once I knew as the Hero of Time. He would have been proud of you."**_ She gently kissed the top of the fairy.

"Oh... uh..." Proxy stammered as his coloring darken. "Y-y-your welcome!" He squeaked and flew away in embarrassment.

"Zelda." Liam spoke up, and the deity turned to face him. The poor boy looked very regretful, for all that had happened. "This... this will not be permanent. You have to return to your current incarnation, or you could die." he hung his head. "I'm sorry- I'm sorry for what Ceiya did to you- to all of you."

" _ **We were well aware of that."**_ The deity glanced at her hands. _**"Even now, our memories are fading back within our soul. They may still linger, but they will be processed back into the depths of her heart as she dreams her nights away."**_

She then dropped her hands and glanced to Link. She then gave him a smile full of warmth, kindness and something else that almost made the young prince breathless.

" _ **Even we have had our faults. Even the best have stumbled upon their paths. You should not feel ashamed, nor should you feel obligated to me in any way- we appreciate the compassion that you have shown towards her and to the others."**_

She closed her eyes: she could feel three parts of herself fading away. She was feeling the memories pushing back into her soul, but she didn't mind it. She opened her white eyes again to meet blue eyes who stared at her in wonder. _**"Link... our Link... it is you and your people for whom we will fight for, no matter our face or our era... forever and always."**_ She promised as she gathered the sides of her dress and curtseyed to him.

Finally she turned to everyone- to the army and to the faces of the past. " _ **Oddly enough, one good thing did come out of Ceiya's deranged desires."**_ She confessed. _**"I... I got to see your faces again... and you came for me when I needed you the most. In the end... that's all that matters to me... to us."**_

She gave them all one final smile-

-then let out a gasp and fell to the ground. She quickly propped herself into a kneeling position by sticking the Master Sword into the ground and ignored everyone's reactions as the braid inside her rejoined into one.

 _Thank you... thank you for your help._ The dominant voice thanked the others that were fading away.

 _We will be with you... always..._ The three voices whispered inside Zelda's head as her body flashed in a golden light, which then slowly dimmed and died away as she regained her true form. In place of the white garbed deity was the familiar girl in pink, who held onto the sword, in case she would faint. She didn't dare to open her eyes as the still spinning world around her fell to silence.

She tried to recall the memories of her past incarnations, but they were gone and locked out of her mind as it should have been.

Slowly she stood back up, but then her body felt off balance, and she almost fainted to the ground. If it hadn't been for a pair of arms that quickly wrapped around her torso, she would have hit the ground.

"It's ok... I got you."

Zelda opened her blue eyes to see Link's cautious, yet relieved eyes. She turned her head to face those who saved her- all of them were relieved.

"...H...hey." She smiled at them as a lightness filled her head. "Thanks for... coming for me-"

She fainted in Link's arms and all went black as she entered a deep sleep, but she didn't mind.

They came to save her in the end. They returned the favor for her- for all of her.

* * *

 **Ugh, that was a beast of a chapter to write out. I was debating on how far I could go on these changes, but in the end I was able to make compromises after many changes inside my head.**

 **I almost cried when I had to make Twilight Twist's Zelda say good bye to Zant. They are the only ones who share a linear knowledge about each other, so the reunion had to count.**

 **I wondered why they gave Ganondrof two swords until I remembered that most Gerudo fight with two swords! Holy cow, the developers really did their research!**

 **So, as per tradition, there will be a breather chapter, but it will come right before the Gerudo Desert (possibly after the next two chapters). I am open to ideas for it, but plot ideas so far include:**

 **-A gag RPG battle (I won't say who is involved) that the whole army is forced to watch on the sidelines.**

 **-The inevitable confrontation between Ghirahim and Lexi (it was going to be in Twilight Twists, but I thought that I would be pushing the cameo exposure too much).**

 **-Another huge invasion/party at Hyrule Castle Town, like in Twilight Twists with Operation Thank You (with permission, of course.)**

 **-Bethany making money off photos of the characters.**

 **-the writer being forced to pay a huge sum of rupees for the commission of the torture chamber from chapter 9 of Twilight Twists.**


	14. Liam and Ceiya

**HeroAlexa249: I don't think that the reference was intentional. And yeah, the interactions, the issues the Zeldas had, and DF Zelda made that beast of a chapter worth all the effort it took to make it. It was a lot of fun, and I really wanted to do it.**

 **BBR: I think she would make a fortune off the photos she would take. :D It might be awhile before Link and Zelda get some romance, but maybe they might get something for the breather chapter.**

 **mysteriousguy898: I have some ideas for the RPG, and there will be nods to other RPGs when it comes.**

 **The whole 'power of friendship' thing was... odd for the game, considering that it wasn't in the series canon. Usually, getting the Master Sword involves strengthening one's self, and the trials beforehand help prove this.**

 **Actually, I wish they used what I did in Hyrule Warriors, because it makes more sense if Link had built up resentment over those years and incarnations, not to mention a good thing to bring up... but I don't think the creators were interested in making their story more interesting, despite the large opportunities they had.**

 **The two halves are pretty separate- if Ceiya still had a bit of Liam, he wouldn't have done the things he's done already.**

 **PsycoFangirl: Crossover with canon would be funny. It was amusing when it happened in Skyward Swaps (chapter 13, I believe.) and that would cause so much chaos.**

Thanks for being patient, and accepting Zelda going Fierce Deity all of the sudden. I really appreciate how the chapter was well received and I don't know if this chapter will be as successful.

Sorry for the delay. I've been busy (SCHOOL WORK WHY MUST YOU KEEP PILING UP?!) and distracted (Sonic Colors and the other fan fics) and I needed inspiration, but it took awhile to play this level again, in order to get it. I tried to do what I could with it, but I'm not super fond of this level, so hopefully it turned out ok.

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Liam and Ceiya**

-some time ago-

Within the temple, the Guardian of Time was momentarily foregoing his duties to watch a moment from the past.

From the crystal of his scepter, an image was projected outward, showing the Hero of Time at the Lake Hylia fishing hole, with her fairy companion at her side.

" _Are you really sure we have time to do this?" Ivan asked Zelda as she carefully reeled in her lure. "Shouldn't we be heading back to Kakariko Village?"_

" _A little rest wouldn't hurt." Zelda confessed, just as her line tightened up. She turned to the water, and quickly tried to pull in her fish. "This one's got to be a big one! I can feel it!" Her eye brows narrowed in determination, and worked as hard as should to get the fish out, until she finally got it out of the water and held it up._

" _Ten inches." Ivan estimated. "That would get us a meal, if the fisherman didn't have a catch and release policy."_

" _You know, I'm almost tempted to see if I can get his hat with the fishing pole." Zelda turned to Ivan with a childish smirk. "Should I tempt it?"_

The white garbed guardian let out an amused snort. "Now I want to go fishing." He turned to the window and gazed longingly at the outside. "The weather is nice for it."

If only he hadn't been tasked with this duty. If only he could be like everyone else, and just abandon this temple whenever he pleased, but fate was not in his favor. It never had been.

"It's thanks to you three I can't go fishing." He scolded at a painting on the wall that showed a a scholar, a musician, and a dancer. "I hope you're satisfied in making my life more miserable than it already is."

Ceiya let out a sigh and made the image go away, before he turned to his books- there were some lightning based spells that he was curious to try out, and they would make a good alternate to using the magic he specialized in.

-present day-

Ceiya let out a string of curses in the temple within the Valley of Seers, while his two best warriors watched on with mixed reactions. Volga was unimpressed, but Wizzro found the childish outburst to be hilarious and pathetic at the same time.

"Where did I go wrong?!" Ceiya hissed as he tightened his grip on his scepter. "If it wasn't for Ganondorf, I would have had them! I WOULD OF HAD HER!" He waved the scepter out and sent out a burst of dark magic that slammed against the wall and almost destroyed it.

Ceiya heard a crackling laugh from Wizzro, and he turned around to see him giving the sorcerer a nasty grin. "So this is the best you can do?! You can't even kill any of them- if you really wanted power, you should have killed the girl while you had the chance!"

"Watch your mouth!" Ceiya snapped. "I rescued you from confinement in the mines, and I can take back my kindness if you dare insult me!"

"You had a chance to take the Triforce of Courage, but you didn't!" Wizzro shrieked. "You could have just made me take the prince while I was at it, and you could of had the whole Triforce, but no- you were blind to your other options! You just had to make things difficult for yourself!"

"As loathe as I am to agree with him, the wizard is correct." Volga finally chimed in. "You are going to have a losing battle on your hands. I don't see a point in fighting for you anymore, if you aren't taking the advantages you need to win."

"Yeah!" Wizzro laughed. "Maybe I should join Ganondorf- at least he only needs power!"

Ceiya's eyes darkened at the wizard. "You wouldn't dare." His hands tightly gripped the handle of the scepter until it almost hurt to do so.

"I did my part, and look where you ended up! I don't want to keep fighting for some lovesick fool! You haven't given me anything for all I've done for you, except a handful of angry people who would kill me if they had the chance!"

"You had your fun with them! If anything, you brought their wrath upon yourself!"

"And yet, they are going to come after you, just because you were corrupting their precious hero! Oh I harmed the princess, I almost tarnished the prince's good name, and I kidnapped the hero, but what makes me worse than you, boy?! You act like you are a god, when you are as full of fault as they are!"

"IF THAT'S HOW YOU WANT IT, THEN FINE!" Ceiya held his hand out and engulfed Wizzro in purple-black flames. As soon as he was engulfed by them, the wizard let out a horrendous and unpleasant shriek that almost deafened Ceiya's eardrums, and yet he had no remorse for what he was doing.

"If you're going to abandon me, then I'll return you back into your ring!" Ceiya snarled as his fingers slowly curled and the flames intensity increased, as did the shrieking. "I _refuse_ to be betrayed by a piece of jewelry! In the end, you are just one setback, and if I deny them the chance to get their revenge on you, then it will be all the more sweeter for me!"

His hand then formed a fist and the shrieking finally died as the flames disappeared and all that remained of the vile creature known as Wizzro was a single ring with a red stone.

It was very unfortunate that Ceiya had to lose Wizzro, who had been very useful, but he could not afford a traitor. There was no sorrow when it came to the loss of an otherwise greedy little monster.

"As for you!" Ceiya turned to Volga. "Don't deny that you want to fight them! Take the glory and the claim that you bested Hyrule's greatest warriors! Kill the prince and sever your family's ties to the Royal Family for good!"

He swung his staff out and casted an aura on Volga. Like Wizzro before him, Volga let out a sound of great pain as he bowled over and fought to stay standing, but instead of a shriek, his was that of a roar that sounded more like that of a dragon.

"YES!" Ceiya joyously laughed out. "Don't fight it! Let it all out! Kill as much as you want to your heart's content!" He threw his hands out into the air. "Finish them off for good!"

Had Ceiya been more aware of his surroundings, he would have sensed that there was another who was watching from behind the temple walls. He would have seen Liam looking at him in sorrow as well as horror, but Ceiya was too caught up in his own madness to know any better.

Liam slowly walked away and began his careful journey back to the others. He had surveyed the lands to see what Ceiya would do in preparation for the battle and he had seen more than enough to know that they might have a chance, if only because Ceiya was too blind to see his flaws in his plans.

As he journeyed back, he remembered when he was torn apart and lost his identity as Ceiya, the Guardian of Time.

 _He remembered trying to suppress his restraints, for the sake of gain, and then he was horrified as to what he had done, as if he had a sudden moment of regret that he was absolutely sure he didn't have beforehand._

 _One moment he was facing a mere shade of Hyrule's greatest villain and the next he found himself laying on the ground somewhere out on the expansive fields._

 _He stumbled in a daze across the fields and wondered what happened to him, until he found himself at Lon Lon Ranch. Normally his mind would go on overdrive and recount the significance of the ranch and it's inhabitants, who treated him with compassion after seeing to dirty and lost he looked, but he was still in a daze and would not speak._

 _He found himself in the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror- hair that was once an almost girly periwinkle shade was now a sky blue, and his robes as the guardian of time were altered to the point of looking more athletic and had blue tones instead of red. What in Din's name did Ganondorf do to him? This wasn't the state of one who accepted the darkness and forced the light out. Did he have a moment of strength and was able to resist the temptation?_

 _He then realized that what when the light suppressed from his heart, he had given into the darkness because he- the one at the ranch with blue hair- was the light. This familiar and yet not quite familiar face was the physical embodiment of his better half, and yet he knew that he was not who he was supposed to be. Even the way he perceived things - the world and the people in it- had changed in an instant and he didn't like it._

" _Who... am I?" He asked as he touched his face to make sure that he was still real. Was he still Ceiya? Heck, when Malon asked for his name, he had no idea how to respond._

 _What was his purpose, now that he was no longer whole?_

 _As time passed and he watched what was happening to Hyrule, he knew that he had to atone for his- for Ceiya's- actions. The part of him who still felt like Ceiya- who had all the memories- knew what was happening, and yet the part that was now him was horrified at what his counterpart was doing to Hyrule and he knew that he had to take action._

 _And so, he gave himself a new name, in order to hide the truth from those he knew he needed to assist. 'Liam' was derived from a language of another country and supposedly meant either 'helmet of will' or 'guardian' which felt fitting for the time being._

 _Then, Liam made his way to the forest to fix the error of Ceiya's ways._

-later-

When Liam returned to the camp, he found Zelda resting against a few blankets, with Proxy, and Link by her side. The girl had already awakened from a very badly needed rest, after having her soul torn to pieces and was reminded as multiple beings in one form, but she was sill recovering.

Liam's heart clenched- Zelda was almost destroyed because of how far his darker side wanted to keep her to himself. Everything that happened was also his fault, in a twisted way, and he knew that there was no way he could make up for what happened to her.

"Oh... hey." Zelda weakly waved at Liam. "I'm almost ready to fight-"

"Hang on sweetie." A medic took out a blue potion and helped the warrior drink it down. "Give yourself a little more time, and then you can go."

Zelda made a grimace and stuck her tongue out after drinking the blue potion, but she looked a little better as her normal coloring began to return to her skin.

"So..." Zelda glanced to Link. "I think I know what you meant by Shadow being like a different person, but... well... being you at the same time."

"That part of me still wants to be dominant from time to time." Link shrugged. "Kind of like an urging to do things a certain way, but then I need to remind myself that we're one and the same, and that it's me whose talking."

 _And what will happen to_ me _after this battle?_ Liam wondered. As much as he hated how far his counterpart had fallen, he knew that eventually they would have to merge back together again, just as Zelda's past selves had to merge into one being once more.

But what would happen to _Liam_? Which side was the most dominant? Would there memories become as one? Would Ceiya's insanity corrupt whatever resulted from being merged back into one? Would the light of Liam balance out Ceiya as a whole being?

Honestly, it scared him.

"One more battle." Liam forced himself to speak as he walked over and knelt beside Zelda. "One more and then time can be fixed again. I swear that I will not let Ceiya get anywhere near you ever again."

"I have to admit, I'll miss everyone when this is all over." Zelda frowned. "We all worked together as one, and we made so many new friends along the way."

Instead of responding, Liam held his hands out and quietly focused on what he had in mind, before the object appeared in a flash of light. In his hands, was a very familiar blue Hylian shield.

"I know I did you a great injustice, but this is the least I can do to make up for it." Liam held the shield out to Zelda. "I saw that you were missing a shield and any hero of Hyrule isn't complete without it." He made to set it down by Zelda's feet, but Link took it for her and held onto it for safe keeping. Had he been whole, he would have scowled in annoyance at Link, but as Liam, he let it slide.

Liam almost wanted to laugh- Ganondorf, Link, and now Zelda had been torn apart, but they had all been reconstructed back together again and he himself became tied to the cursed trinity in a similar manner.

Liam went to check on the others and he paid attention to their interactions.

Nabrooru and Saria had been called in and after they were dropped off by the Helmaroc King, the Gerudo had given everyone an earful about being left out on all the fun. Now she was happily chatting away with Saria, Darunia, Ruto and Impa: five of six sages from another era together once more, Liam realized with a smirk.

The small band of Twili and the young Sheikah warrior had also returned, but their search for the Twilight Princess had been in vain. Try as they might, she was nowhere to be found, and the only one who didn't seem too upset was Ariadne, who went back to happily conversing with Agitha about bugs. The other twin- Daphne- seemed to be getting along more with Koji, but it was clear that _something_ had happened between them. Liam could see that they were sharing a shy glance and seemed to be blushing over something, and he felt a sickening dread that whatever they developed would have a very bittersweet ending.

"Is she almost ready to fight?" Liam glanced around to see Zant giving him a curious look.

"Almost." Liam informed him. "And then we can fight Ceiya and you all can go back where you came."

"But there's a price, isn't there?"

"What do you mean?"

"There's always a price. It's something I've wondered about, ever since you told us that time was frozen for those who came from this country's past."

Liam turned back to continue observing the others. The knights and the Gorons were readying their weapons for battle or sharing discussions over who knew what- Geode kept giving Ruto a glance now and then, and it was clear that he still harbored a crush on the Zora.

There was a burst of laughter and Liam glanced over to see Bethany showing Ghirahim her collection of pictures. The sword spirit only seemed to get along with a few of the others, and it seemed that he was beginning to favor Bethany, along with Zelda and (to an extent) Ruto.

Camaraderie did wonders for whose who never knew they needed it.

"For now, let's just fight together as if there's no tomorrow." Liam could only answer. "There's no telling when you'll see any of us ever again."

When Liam was still whole, he hated the loneliness that came with his duty. He hated that he couldn't be like everyone else. The one source of happiness that came from his duty were the stories that he could pull from time and watch. It wasn't the same as reality, but the stories were entertaining, and he could lose himself in them and forget everything that he hated about his life.

In the end, his passion turned into an obsession that had disastrous consequences, but that passion also bore a knowledge that came in handy for those who needed it. He was able to make friends through what made him happy, and he felt like he had a purpose in reality because of it.

But he would have to burn many bridges, in order to ensure that the world and the timeline would be safe. It pained him to know that that he had to do it, but Liam knew that it had to be done.

He turned back to the prince, the general, and the commanders to share what he knew, and what they should do, in order to win.

Almost two hours later, it came to those final moments when everyone was together, under the red and black sky in the valley. They could see the monsters were waiting and ready to strike, but _they_ were also ready. They knew these lands now, and they knew how their enemy might strike, because they were wiser now.

All eyes turned ahead to the one who tied them together- the one they fought to save, and who was now ready to lead them to battle.

Zelda glanced at the army one last time and they glanced back at her.

"Ready Zelda?" Proxy asked as he flew by her side.

She slowly took her shield in hand, and pulled the glorious Master Sword out of it's sheath. She glanced at the blade and reassured herself that she could do this- she had come very far to get to this point, and she was part of a noble line of saviors who gave her their blessings.

She was not going to let Ceiya win this war- not if she had a say.

She took a deep breath and held her sword out as she let out a battle cry from deep within and charged ahead.

In return, everyone let out their own cries, before they divided into three- they went to the east, the west, and straight ahead. They were ready to protect Hyrule and they were ready to fight in what was sure to be a great battle.

-stage 13-

Ceiya grinned when he saw them coming- they might think that they have a chance with the hero on their side, but he was tapping into darkness, and he could feel it coursing through him. It was sweeter and more exhilarating than anything he could ever imagine, and he detested that he was sharing it with each of his minions, but he had to make a sacrifice, if he wanted to gain back what was taken from him.

Curse Liam, curse Link, curse this army, curse Ganondorf, curse the hated Goddesses, and curse the naive hero for thinking that he didn't know any better.

He earned his rights and he'd be damned if he lost any of them.

"KILL THEM!" He roared. "KILL THEM ALL!"

The army fought to reach the sanctums and cut back his power. At first, Ceiya was stunned at how fast they figured out where the sanctums were, but then he remembered that Liam knew, or at least had to have figured it out since they were one and the same.

He couldn't wait to kill the blue haired school boy.

Liam lead Daphne, Koji, and a handful of knights as they charged into the southern sanctum. The Twili spun her whip around her body and stuck as many monsters as she could, along with Koji who skillfully twirled his naginata and sent out waves of flame that scorched his opponents.

"You guys take this one, I'll go on!" Liam told the two as he held his book under his arm and ran ahead to join the others.

Both the long range warriors and the heavy hitting warriors had gone ahead of the others to help make things easier for the others and the Gorons were charging their way in the eastern side of the valley.

"WOO!" Darunia hollered as he and a group of Gorons ran ahead and smashed their opponents as they crossed their path. "Get em!"

"FIRE!" Geode enthusiastically cheered as he let the fire rod spew out several jets of flame and roasted a handful of monsters.

In the eastern sanctum, the monsters were given a nasty shock when a group of opponents appeared. Link, Impa, and Zelda sliced and hacked their way, long before the others could arrive, and it was an impressive sight to behold for them.

A flying lizafos let out a shriek and took to the sky, but just before it let out a jet of flames, an arrow struck it in the chest and knocked it back to the ground, but it became impaled by one of many dagger projectiles that shot out into the monsters, before another wave was sent out.

"And that's why projectiles are awesome!" Bethany cheered to Ghirahim as she sent out another arrow. "Just shoot the buggers out of the sky!"

"I certainly agree with your enthusiasm." Ghirahim laughed as he too had the time of his life.

"I'll go on and clear that area!" Ruto ran out when she noticed a monster infested keep and readied her magic.

"Let me help you!" Saria joined the Zora as she used her staff to send out deku sprouts to clear a path for herself.

"This is amazing!" Ariadne cheered as she and Agitha rode a great stag beetle that charged through their own wave of monsters, while Zant, Beliah, and Ashei hurried ahead, followed by Nabooru.

"There's a wide area in between the temple and a great fairy's fountain!" Ashei told Zant. "That should give us enough space to fight!"

"Excellent." Zant grinned under his helmet. "Perhaps that will give us just as good of an excuse to use our full potential."

"What does that mean?" Nabrooru demanded.

"It means we can have as much fun as we can without worrying about hurting the others!" Ashei smirked as she took out her ball and chain.

Nabrooru felt a chill down her spine as she saw how large Ashei's spiked ball was, in addition to the length of the chain. _I have a feeling I'll need to watch out for them, instead._

"Got it!" Link cheered in the eastern sanctum as he and his own band of men filled the sanctum up and were able to fend off additional monsters from coming in. As they had found out, Ceiya had set up an image of the Triforce to power the sanctums and connect them together, but with all the monsters gone, there was no one to defend it, and the image lost it's glow.

"How are the others?!" Zelda demanded to Proxy, who flew up into the sky to go check, while Sunny flew in.

"Koji and the others have control of the southern sanctum!" She told her.

"Then I'll go on ahead to the fairy fountain." Zelda told the others as she hurried out and briefly rejoined Liam as he made his way to the west to give his assistance to the others.

"Do not be surprised if Ceiya tries to use a trick up his sleeve!" He told her as he sent a wall of magic out. "We still have the temple to worry about, and who knows what is waiting in there!"

"KEYAH!" Nabrooru stared in shock at Zant as he twirled in a seemingly endless spin with his scimitars out and sliced at his opponents, while Ashei struggled to try to knock her opponents over, and Beliah used her hair to spear through two dinofos.

"I can do that too!" Nabrooru yelled at Zant and proceeded to race towards a few monsters that were trying to escape. She readied herself, leapt into the air, and spun around with her scimitars out and made her way through the monsters.

"We got it!" Bethany cheered as the monsters were cleared out of the sanctum and Proxy flew in to check on her and the others.

"East and south all clear!"

"So is west!" She yelled up at him. Proxy nodded and made his way to the south to make a similar report, while Sunny- who noticed the exchange, quickly flew back to Link and Impa.

"Alright, we got the sanctums!" Liam cheered. "Now Ceiya can't power his army throughout the valley!"

Ceiya was not amused as one by one his monsters lost their power and the numbers dwindled faster than usual.

He watched everything from the crystal ball, and his magic channeled through the orb and powered it. Yet, the fury that was building up inside him was affecting his magic and the darkness that he was giving away was once more coursing though him as it did before, though it was slowly deleting his life force once again.

Before he knew it, Ceiya's crystal ball shattered from the build up of magic and he was almost knocked back by the explosion, but he stood his guard.

"Alright then," The pupils of his eyes were now an unnatural shade of red as he readied a strong spell and disk like runes began to circle him, as did a ring of magical orbs. "You to make things difficult for yourselves?!" He sneered as he raised his hands up, crossed them as they went down, and then slowly pushed them out. "Then go on and be my guest!"

He threw his hands out and an explosion of dark magic erupted from him, and trails of dark magic escaped out onto the battle field.

Liam watched in horror as the trails of dark magic went out into the valley to form colossal gates of time, from which even more monsters began to emerge. He turned back in time to see a dome of dark magic formed by Ceiya at the temple, which then began to shrink back down in size.

"Ceiya," Liam could almost feel his other half be drained by the use of that amount of dark magic- if this kept up, he would surely die. "You can't take much more of this!" He pleaded, but it was hopeless, as the two halves were too far away to have one be heard by the other.

The rest of the army was caught off guard by the change in tide. Having been granted only a moment's rest in their victory, they were forced to continue the fight, with double the opposition, and while their opponents were not as strong, there were now too many of them.

A lot of swearing was thrown across the battlefield in that instant.

"Sweet Hylia, why?!" Karane demanded as she and the others tried to fight the monsters off.

"Well our opponent has control of time!" Pipit pointed out.

"Ten seconds!"

By now, those two words had become a warning to run for it, and when the two knights saw a huge bomb soaring overhead towards their enemies, they turned to run the other way, only to see Groose lowering his arms down.

"Oh come on, you know that was funny!" He laughed.

Karane and Pipit could only glare in anger at their red-headed companion.

Link cursed as the monsters began to swarm his army. "What do we do now?"

" _Oh prince!"_ A voice sang out. " _You do recall the fountain where you can pray for my aid, correct?"_

Link let out an embarrassed smile, but he was greatly relieved to hear the Great Fairy coming to their aid. "Of course." He quickly turned to Impa. "We need to get to the fairy fountain, immediately!"

"Then let me join you!" Impa finished off a monster, before the two could hurry to the fountain.

"Hah, you guys aren't going to hog all the fun without me!" Darunia laughed and also headed to the area around fountain, while the other Gorons stayed in the north eastern section of the battlefield, and they gained the badly needed aid of Saria, who summoned up a Deku Tree spirit to swallow up some of the excess lower leveled monsters for them.

"SOMEONE HELP US!" Koji yelled as the southern end was getting swamped. Despite his small sections efforts, they could barely manage on their own.

"WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU GUYS?!" Daphne shouted as she counterattacked a monster that to hit her.

Without warning, loud singing erupted a slight distance away from them, and it increased as the singer approached.

" _Bash all the baddies in the head, in the head!"_ Ariadne sang to a melody that Agitha taught her in delight as she smashed a liazfos repeatedly in the face with her shield, while Agitha herself giggled as she smacked around her own opponents with her parasol. _"Bash until your cares go away and they are all good and dead- YES INDEEDY!"_

"I did mention that we're Zant's cousins, right?" Daphne cringed as she tried to avoid Koji's questioning gaze.

LInk finally reached the fountain, where Zelda was beginning to pray for the Great Fairy. "Tell everyone to get as many monsters near here as possible!" He commanded to his men and Sunny, who happened to find him. "Were going to flush them all out!"

"Yes sir!" Sir Winslow saluted the commander and the general, before he and the others hurried off.

"I can draw enemies over from the east!" Darunia promised before hurrying back to smite as many as he could with his hammer.

Sunny flew over as fast as she could to Zant and the others, and when she relayed Link's message, the Twili let out a delighted, yet creepy sound. "Give me a moment." He promised her, before she flew off to seek out who else needed her message.

Exactly one moment later, the battlefield was treated to a colossal sized Zant, who proceeded to stomp the ground and sent many monsters and Hylians running for their lives. All the while, he was laughing as if he was having the time of his life.

Ashei stoically watched Zant from a safe distance, then turned to Beliah- who was chocking the life out of many opponents with her six hair spears wrapped around their necks- and asked "How is he your king again?"

Beliah's hair tossed her opponents into the sky and looked at Ashei. "Long story." She reminded her as her opponents finally hit the ground.

"I-" Nabrooru began as she glanced up at the rampaging Zant, but gave up. "Ok, I can't do that. You win this round, mister."

Ceiya scowled at the scene before him, but then he had an idea and turned to Volga. "Volga, would you like a taste of my power? I'm sure you would like to finish off a member of the Royal Family while you are here."

Volga- overcome with an overwhelming bloodlust- let out a roar and hushed out of the temple. He changed into a dragon, flew over the temple and dived into the battle grounds.

The most powerful warriors were unable to focus on Volga, as they tried to gather up the monsters into one spot. The dragon allowed himself to go on a rampage and attack as many as he could, even if they were on his side.

"Get up!" Beliah yelled at her king, who had reverted back to normal size, but collapsed onto the ground in a heap.

"Need... a moment." He panted. "I haven't... done that in a long time."

"Get back!" Ruto yelled at a handful of knights as she tried to get closer to Volga, while sending a title wave over a bunch of monsters. In her mind, she believed that she could have a chance against the dragon, but Geode saw what she was doing and hurried towards her.

"Princess wait!" Geode cried out. "You can't fight that thing on your own!"

Ruto sent a wave of water at Volga, but it only angered him and once he shook it off, he turned towards her direction and began to prepare to let out a breath of fire.

Without even thinking twice, the young Goron grabbed Ruto up in his arms and raced away from the jet of flames that almost came seconds too soon- he felt the heat against his legs, but by the sharp intake of air from the Zora, he could tell that it was painful to her.

"If he got you, you'd be dead!" Geode yelled. "Zoras can't survive fire, right?!"

Elsewhere, the others were trying to keep away from the dragon, who was steadily approaching the fairy fountain.

"Dude, what's with that knight?!" Bethany demanded from her spot, though no one could answer as they had their own opponents to deal with.

Link began to think over his options carefully as he listened to what was happening outside- Zelda already had enough protection in the fountain, and he needed to help out in any way he could.

"Zelda, as much as I hate to say this, take Liam with you to Ceiya and finish him off for us." He finally told her.

"I understand." Zelda nodded without a second thought and watched as Link headed out, with sword in hand.

"Wait!" Impa protested. "You can't face him on your own."

"Except I need him to face me one on one." Link told her. "If he tries anything, then I'll appreciate what help I can get- I've learned my lesson."

Link approached the battle and continued to walk through the fighting and towards Volga, who was still attacking whatever he could see. He took a deep breath before he belted out as loudly as he could "VOLGA!"

The dragon halted in his path and turned to face the prince. He gave Link an impressive glare and reverted into his more human like form in a flash of fire.

" _You."_ Volga growled as he readied his spear.

"You are better than this." Link calmly, yet firmly began. "To use dark magic instead of your own strength is a disgrace to yourself and to your lineage. What happened to the warrior I knew?"

"I am not a servant to your family!" Volga raged as he charged at Link.

"A descendant of the Great and Powerful Volvagia should not have to fight with a descendant of King Link Chronos Hyrule!" Link dodged the attack, before charging in with his own attack. "I once respected you and your lineage- you all are mighty and proud beings!"

"And yet, you foolishly wasted away your own honor!" Volga snarled as he blocked the attack. "Your whole family can't even finish what they started and end their enemies for good!"

"Well you are doing the exact same thing!" Link yelled back, but then Volga turned his arm into that of a dragon and smacked him to the side."DON'T YOU DARE COMPARE YOURSELF TO ME, YOU LITTLE WORM!" Volga then readied himself and sent out a jet of flame from his mouth and right at Link, but the green warrior quickly scrambled away before he could get burnt.

However, Volga charged right at Link, who didn't notice in time, and was slashed across the chest by the spear. The chain mail prevented serious damage, but Link was briefly stunned, and Volga had enough time to strike a blow or two against him. He then took to the sky with an attack that allowed his wings to briefly appear, before falling back down, and try to impale Link with the spear, but Link managed to get out of the way, and just when Volga was trying to pull the spear out, he was able to land a hit.

"Our families once respected each other! It's thanks to your lineage that Hyrule could live in harmony with the dragons! That can't end like this!"

"YOU DISREGARDED US AND TRIED TO MAKE US FIGHT YOUR OWN BATTLES! YOU STOPPED CONSIDERING WHAT WE WANTED FOR OUR KIND AND WE ALMOST DIED OUT THANKS TO YOU!"

It seemed that the fight between the two could go on and on. Those who were given a moment of peace nervously glanced to what was apparently going to be a fight to the death- neither warrior was giving the other a chance to rest, and all the while, more monsters were flooding into that one area thanks to the efforts of Hyrule's finest and it's assistants from the past. Link, however, did not have the advantages Volga did when it came to protection, and Impa watched with growing anxiety as Volga seemed to almost kill Link more than once.

"Please hurry." She glanced to the fairy fountain, where Zelda was. "I already lost him once. I can't lose him again."

The two messengers surveyed as much as they cold and entered the fountain, where Zelda was waiting.

"We got a lot of them gathered up!" Proxy eagerly told his companion.

"Pray for her now!" Sunny excitedly pipped up. Zelda nodded and turned to the pool of water, and she held her hand up into the air.

"Oh Great Fairy!" Zelda prayed in the fountain. "The time is now! Send us your blessings and aide our cause."

As before, the Great Fairy showed herself, but she knew that they were pressed for time, so she hastily commanded her fairies to appear.

"Give them all some divine light to shed on the battlefield, my dears!" She cried out.

Outside a horde of fairies merged together in a burst of light, and in the sky was a perfect replica of the Triforce. The loftwing crest appeared under it, and the ground began to shake, just before the mark of Hyrule exploded into golden rainfall that went hurling downward. Many monsters tried to escape but almost all of them were caught in the full blast, until finally the upper half of the battlefield was almost completely devoid of monsters.

"And that takes care of that!" The Great Fairy giggled, before she vanished.

"Oh thank Nayru." Bethany sighed in relief after fortune fell in her army's favor. "That helps us out quite a lot!" She turned to Ghirahim. "So, you want to see if there are any monsters at the temple to finish off while were at it? I bet you fifty rupees I can get three or more with one arrow!"

"I can get twenty or more with one attack." Ghirahim smugly responded.

The victory to Hyrule made Ceiya angry. "You've got to be kidding me! The Great Fairy helped them again?!" He glared at the fountain. "Fine- I'll fight you, as long as my opponent is your precious hero!"

"And now for Ceiya," Zelda grimaced as she began the last part of the battle that she was not looking forward to. She raced out of the fountain and ran towards the temple, and was quickly joined by Liam.

"Let me speak to him first!" He pleaded. "Maybe I can still save him!"

"I can't promise that I can hold back from what must be done!" Zelda responded. "If he refuses, I have to do get back the Triforce of Power in order to restore the timeline."

"I know that! I also know that you can give me at least one chance- that's all I ask!"

As they hurried on their way, they passed another duo- Link cautiously held his sword out in front of Volga, who had been struck by the blast, and he was kneeling at the ground, with weapon still in hand.

"Don't do this." Link told him. "The dark power isn't your own."

Volga heavily panted as he glanced up to his opponent. "Why... would you bother caring about your opponent?"

"Because you've lost your honor as a warrior, and you don't deserve to be used by another like this! Fight it! Fight the darkness inside you!"

Finally, the words were able to reach into the dragon's mind, and he was able to see through the haze and find the clarity he was seeking.

"You are a dragon, so _be_ a dragon!"

Volga snarled and he clawed his hand into the dirt. "No..." He trembled. "No... I REFUSE TO SUCCUMB TO THE DARKNESS!" He roared and for one moment a burst of flame came out of his mouth as fire burned out the dark magic until nothing remained.

"If you want to fight me, fight as yourself!" Link yelled. "Now let's finish this fight as equals!"

Volga slowly got up and readied his spear. "Fine," He panted. "Then let me show you how a true warrior ends a fight.

Link also readied his sword and charged at Volga, who followed suit.

Elsewhere, the white sorcerer and the hero finally reached Ceiya.

"Ceiya!" Liam cried out.

The sorcerer glanced out to see the duo- Liam looked worried, but Zelda gave Ceiya a cold glare as she held her sword out.

"Well, isn't this nice." Ceiya grinned as he began to ready a spell. "I should have expected you to be by her side. It's a shame you had to turn into a deity and then revert back to normal." He glanced at Zelda. "I was really close to having you, my dear."

"Ceiya please stop this!" Liam desperately pleaded. "If you keep this up, you'll kill yourself. Fuse back with me!" He slammed a hand to his chest. "You can still save yourself before it's too late! Please- let us be whole again!"

"No!" Ceiya gritted his teeth. "I refuse to let you be a part of me again! Do you have any idea how wonderful it was to not have you holding me back?! Without you, I feel more powerful and more sure than ever before!" Yes, he was feeling drained- giving Volga a bit of dark magic was a dumb move, but he refused to give up now.

"Look at what it's done to Hyrule!" Zelda protested. "Did you really want to destroy everything, for my sake?!"

"This isn't what we wanted when we were the same!" Liam added. "We knew we shouldn't do this, and now our name and our memory is tarnished because we gave into the darkness!"

"Shut up, you stupid speck of light!" Cieya snapped. "This ends right now!"

He then rapidly waved his scepter out and created dark duplicates of Zelda. Though they charged at Liam and Zelda with swords out and ready, both dodged their attacks and reached Ceiya. Liam, sent a wave of magic out, but Ceiya dodged it quickly. Zelda then made to strike, but Ceiya quickly turned around and swung the spiked end of the scepter out, which stayed connected by a thread of magic. Zelda was forced to dodge each swipe and swing of the scepter, and Ceiya let out a laugh, just as Liam quickly kicked him in the rib cage and slammed a burst of magic into his face.

Ceiya grunted, and made to attack, but this time Zelda struck him in the arm and gave him a gash that made him yell in anger and try to strike her with the scepter, but Zelda quickly blocked the attack. The two engaged in trying to strike each other and blocking their attacks, until Liam readied a cube that he jumped on, and Zelda got out of the way as he walked it into Ceiya.

"You!" He snarled and sent waves of magic out at his double like a madman, but Liam blocked all the attacks with walls of magic, which he sent hurling right back at Ceiya, who ran away from them as fast as he could.

He spun around, to face Zelda, who exchanged more blows with him, but he finally had the upper hand when he smacked her across the face and knocked her back. He made to do a finishing move on her, but Liam quickly rushed in and readied another spell that he sent at Ceiya, who quickly blocked it.

"THAT'S IT!" Ceiya yelled as the darkness flared around his body. "You pushed me too far! You _will_ die!"

He held his staff out and without warning, three additional clones came out. "I will win, no matter what!" He yelled, but then cringed and clutched his chest as the world began to spin around him.

Elsewhere, Volga and Link were at a draw. Both of them had pushed themselves too far, and neither one seemed willing to give up.

"Enough!" Impa stepped in front of them and held her sword at Volga. "We have more important things to worry about! If you want to end this feud, do it on another day!"

"She's right." Link panted as he glanced to Impa. "Ceiya is still fighting. You have to let us win just this once. I promise I'll finish this later!"

Volga glanced from Impa to Link. "You would die for your kingdom?" He demanded.

"I tempted it way too many times to say no and turn my back on everyone." Link replied. "Trust me."

Volga drew his spear back. "Then I won't stop you. I'll spare a life, but just this once."

"Thank you!" Link breathed and smiled. "I promise I'll make it up to you one day." He waved as if the dragon didn't try to kill him mere moments ago and raced to the temple as fast as his exhausted body could allow him. He did not want Ceiya to try to harm Zelda ever again, and if he had to resort to being Shadow again, then so be it.

Zelda gritted her teeth in determination as she and Liam tried to do their best to make quick work of the duplicates. Each one put up their own fight, and all the while, the original was using up his own life to power the duplicates.

"More of me and less of you!" Ceiya taunted.

Zelda finally made quick work of one clone, who then vanished, and Liam was able to do the same. Unfortunately, Ceiya then raised a few feet into the air and dark magic formed on the ground.

"Run!" Liam grabbed Zelda by the arm and pulled her to the side, just as beams of magic shot out. All the while, Ceiya was laughing maniacally.

"SEE LIAM?! IT FEELS BETTER THAN ANYTHING YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE!"

The last clone was about to jump in and get Liam, but Zelda quickly caught him in time and engaged in a brief fight. As she did, Ceiya struggled to stay standing after using so much magic, but then he noticed Liam, and a dark thought crossed his mind- if he was to die, then only Liam would remain. But if Liam died, then he would finally triumph over his weak and pathetic half.

Ceiya quickly teleported himself behind his other half, and before Liam knew it, Ceiya smacked him in the head, quickly circled around him, and grabbed his neck as tightly as he could.

For Liam, it felt like Ceiya's fingers would puncture his throat at any moment- it was not possible for a normal person, but with a burst of dark magic, anything was possible.

"With your death, I will be able to finally purge myself of all restraint!" Ceiya grinned at Liam as his grip on his neck tightened and lifted his other half a foot up into the air.

"N-no." Liam struggled to breath. "Ceiya... you... can't... I can't let you-"

"We _wanted_ this!" Ceiya's eyes nearly bulged out and his teeth were bared at Liam as he roared at him. "We _wanted_ her! We deserved her, for all we've done for this land and their thankless deities! Why do you insist on fighting me?!"

Zelda finally finished off the last clone and turned to Ceiya. She knew what she had to do, and rushed to the sorcerer while he was still distracted- without thinking, she ran and sent the Master Sword right into Ceiya's back as hard as she could.

The sorcerer screamed as he let go of Liam and seconds later Zelda pulled the Master Sword out of him. Ceiya turned to face Zelda with every intent to lash out at her, but Liam quickly made his move and engulfed his counterpart in a square of light walls that formed a cube.

Ceiya cursed and swung his scepter at the walls, but they bore no effect. Zelda was safe from his wrath, and that was important for Liam, but there was something else he needed to do. When Ceiya gave up and clutched his wound to glare in fury at his double, Liam finally said what needed to be said, after all this time.

"All I really wanted-" Liam wheezed as he held a hand out, with the other gently caressing his bruised neck "-all that we wanted when we were whole was just someone to talk to and be our friend. I _hated_ being alone and I thought that no one could ever understand me, so that was partly why we desired Zelda. I thought that I deserved the best for all I did for Hyrule, but I realized that what I did to gain them had too high a cost. I wanted to make amends, but I wasn't honest and I made things worse. I would do anything to help these people, because I care about them- I will sacrifice the individuality I have gained as Liam, if it means saving them all."

Liam glanced up to Zelda, who nodded as she readied her sword. "And even if they all don't share the same feelings I have... at least I'm happy to finally call all these amazing people my friends."

His hand clenched into a fist and the walls of the cube smashed into Ceiya.

The dark sorcerer let out a scream as the magic electrocuted every part of his being and could barely muster the courage to stay upright as he bent over in pain. At the same time, Zelda felt herself become connected to the Master Sword, and she could feel an energy surge into the blade.

Right before Ceiya could collapse, Zelda felt the magic raise her into the air, the mark of the Triforce formed under her and Ceiya, and a burst of light erupted out and consumed the three of them.

Link heard a blood curdling scream that was worse than the last one, and he forced himself to keep running, and he didn't stop until he reached the top of the temple, only to behold a horrible sight when the golden light faded and Zelda returned back to the ground.

Zelda averted her eyes and kept them from gazing upon the blood stained Master Sword, while Liam could only watch as Ceiya struggled to keep standing upright. He dropped his scepter to the ground and stumbled as the world around him began to spin once again. "No..." He panted. "I can still-!" He glanced up to Liam in despair. "Is... is this what you wanted... Liam?" He lost all focus and collapsed to the ground.

"Ceiya!" Liam ran to his counterpart's side and knelt beside him. Carefully, he placed a hand on Ceiya's shoulder and helped lift the upper half of his body over his knees, though the headdress that Ceiya wore fell off his head and remained on the ground.

Without the accessory it was more apparent just how much the two resembled one another- if one didn't know any better, they just looked like two brothers.

Liam struggled to keep himself together, but he knew, without a doubt, that his other half had gone too far. "You could have joined back with me... we could have been whole and yet you still insisted on throwing your life away over something we knew could never happen. Why?" His grip tightened on his dark half. "Why would you do that?!"

"Tell me," Ceiya stared into the sky as he remained still and chose not to fight away from Liam- there was just no point in fighting anymore. "What does it feel like... to have a new personality? For everything to be erased and rewritten until you don't feel like the person you used to be?"

"It wasn't pleasant." Liam confessed as he recalled that time. "I felt incomplete."

"But then you feel as if you've been reborn- reborn and freed from your past life to do what you wished to do."

"I feel free, but I _want_ to be whole again." Liam confessed.

"And yet, we would have been trapped once more." Ceiya pointed out. "I know deep down you are afraid of what will happen to you."

He let out a sigh. "So this is how it ends... the only person to comfort me in my last moments is myself. This isn't what I wanted... it's not fair." His face was filled with regret.

"If you found the strength to see that what you were doing was cruel then this couldn't have happened." Liam was upset at this as much as Ceiya was. "You can't just take it out on everyone because nothing goes the way you want it to. You have to find it in yourself to have the power to move on ahead and change things for yourself- sometimes you just need to look within and see what you need to do about yourself to make that work, without changing the best of who you are."

Ceiya listened closely to his counterparts words, before glancing down to see the hero, with the prince at her side. Zelda silently watched the two, with her hand resting over her chest, as if the act was a prayer. In her eyes was a sorrow, but who was it really for- Liam, Ceiya, or both?

Zelda... the beautiful Zelda who was forever unobtainable. The Zelda who could outshine the goddesses themselves, and carried a strong soul that could face the darkness and sorrow, despite all that had to be sacrificed. The one Ceiya thought he could relate to, and who could love him.

"We've seen how this ends..." Ceiya almost whispered. "We both know she doesn't choose you." He glanced to Liam, with pleading eyes. "How do you do it... knowing you get left behind?"

Liam glanced to Zelda. Like Ceiya, he also shared a love of the girl who was eternally reincarnated throughout time, but he could see that if he were to try to make her his, when she was so far out of reach... and destined to be bound to the young man who stared at the two halves in understanding and in compassion... it would not be fair to either of them.

Liam turned to Ceiya with a sad smile. "You don't always get the person you think you deserve... and I can live with that." He moved his free hand to Ceiya's, and carefully held it over the latter's chest.

Ceiya thought over his counterpart's words as his world slowly began to fade. He was dying... or was he going to return to where he was supposed to be?

He didn't care any more. Whatever happened to him now was now in the hands of fate.

"You always were..." Ceiya slowly smiled to Liam- a real, true smile "... my better half."

His body started to faintly glow, and Liam began to panic. "Wait- Ceiya!"

Ceiya closed his eyes as eternal peace fell over him at last. His body wavered, like water ripples, until he faded from existence and left only empty air in Liam's hands.

There was nothing left of the dark half of Ceiya anymore.

Liam could only stare in silence in his moment of loss, until he noticed a small glowing light. He held his hand out to it in confusion, but as the light glowed and took on a rectangular shape, he realized what it was, stood up and took it with him.

"The Triforce of Power." he murmured. "Din inspires and favors those who desire and show true power in their goals... in their resolve and in their hearts."

Gods, it had to be fitting that all that was left behind was something that Ceiya had sought to make his dream a reality, as well as proof of which part of the three virtues his spirit had the most of. It really wasn't fair.

He closed his hand over the fraction of the Triforce and felt it disappear in his hand. Seconds later a mark bearing the Triforce, with the top triangle glowing in brilliant yellow appeared on his hand- signifying his right as the new owner of the relic and the title of Forger of Strength.

"Ceiya..." He murmured as the light faded. "I promise... I'll do what I can to make Hyrule remember you for the good that you had done, and not what you had become. I'll start by fixing the timeline, and then everything will be right once more- just like we were meant to do as the Guardian of Time."

* * *

 **Bye-bye Ceiya. You were one heck of a deranged fanboy and managed to give female Cia a run for her money because of that.**

 **Oh, and Wizzro too- I didn't want to cover that one level, but I knew he had to disappear like he did in the game, and he had done enough despicable acts at this point. It made sense that Ceiya would deny a handful of people the chance to kill him, which was probably unsatisfactory for some of you. I'm not convinced that Volga was killed off in the game since it was hard to tell, so he lives in this AU.**

 **Oh thank the high heavens I've finished this chapter!**


	15. In which time was restored

mysteriousguy898: Eh, I still see it the same way. Lana claiming/containing the Triforce of Power made her the barer in my eyes. Ganondorf only got it in the first place because he valued power, while the others chose their ideal owners. And in the case of Wind Waker, I think it was definately a first come, first serve... provided you touch it first.

HeroAlexa249: LOL I totally see that! And when I was playing the level for a refresher, I did the same thing.

 **December was stressful, and a lot was going on. It was really hard to work out this chapter, due to what was going to happen. I am going to need time to get my creativity back for this, even though I have a better idea of how the next chapters will go.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: In which time was restored**

By the time all the monsters had been vanquished, retreated, or suddenly vanished, everyone was exhausted but also relieved that the battle was finally over. Some still had the strength to cheer out and share their victory with others.

"Oh thank the Goddesses it's all over!" Ashei sighed in relief as she turned to Beliah and held her hand out. "Thank you for aiding us in this battle. We couldn't have done it without you guys."

"The pleasure is all ours." Beliah smiled and shook hands with the commander.

"WE DID IT! WE DID IT!" Ariadne sang as she took Agitha by the hands and began to spin her around. "Come here, you!" She reached out and grabbed her twin's hand and forced her into the circle, much to the dismay of Daphne and the amusement of Koji who cracked a grin at the moment.

"You still owe me a date." Karane reminded Pipit. The young man was about to reply when Groose forced himself between them and threw his arms over their shoulders.

"Finally, we can go back home!" Groose sighed as Pipit shot him an annoyed look.

"Hey... Geode was it?" Ruto said Geode as she approached him. "Thanks for earlier."

"Oh!" Geode nervously smiled. "Y-your welcome, Your Highness."

Ruto hesitated for a moment, before giving the Goron a radiant smile and bent down to give him a small kiss on the cheek. Geode went wide eyed in shock, as did a few other Gorons who saw the appreciative gesture, but it was Darunia who let out a hearty laugh.

"Did your brother just get a kiss from Princess Ruto?" Sidian raised an eyebrow as he spoke to Orik.

"Yes... yes he did." Orik was equally dumbfounded.

Ruto stood back up and walked away from the stunned Geode and went up to Darunia upon whom she gave him a slap against his shoulder to show how annoyed she was at his reaction.

At this point, Liam rejoined the group, along with a certain hero and prince. While everyone was curious as to how Ceiya was defeated, there was a sense of doom upon them as they gradually realized that it was almost time for those of the past to return to their respective eras. With that knowledge came their final parting moments.

"It was great to learn how well respected we are in the future." Darunia grinned at Link and Impa, while Ruto stood by him. "Hopefully you all get the same treatment when you become a part of history."

"You both have been a positive influence to many." Link agreed as he glanced at the Gorons, who stared in awe at the two from the era of the Hero of Time. "We could never thank you enough for helping us, despite that you had to get dragged into all of this."

"Hey, it was pretty fun!" Ruto let out a laugh. "Besides, we had every reason to help you guys out."

Elsewhere, the Twilis were given what Liam believed to be a well deserved apology.

"I'm really sorry I dragged you and the other Twili into this." Liam addressed Zant. "Especially considering- well-" Liam trailed off when he saw that Zelda approaching them, but she was more focused on Zant.

"It was truly an honor to fight alongside you." She held her hand out with a smile to the king.

Zant silently glanced down at the hand before looking at the young warrior- he would never be able to get over the similarities she shared with Lady Wolf, but it was easier to see this one as an equal to her.

"As it was for me." Zant replied as he reached out and shook hands with Zelda. "You are a worthy successor to the last hero who used the Master Sword." The girl gave him an appreciative smile in response.

"Aw man, now we have to go back to our respective dimensions!" Ariadne complained to Agitha as she held Demi in her arms. "Well, at least it was nice to meet you, Your Highness."

"Likewise!" Agitha giggled as she caressed Demi's head one more time before drawing her hand back.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted." Daphne waited for her pet snake to wrap himself over her shoulders before she crossed her arms and tried to avoid Koji's gaze. "I'm glad I get to go back home and put this all behind me."

"So you won't miss us?" Koji raised an eyebrow.

"L- look," Daphne blushed as she stammered. "Whatever happened wouldn't have worked out. Especially since I'd probably die if I'm still around when the time line gets fixed. It was nice knowing you and I'd totally whoop your butt any day!" She pointed a finger at him.

"Sure you would." Koji rolled his eyes. "Maybe next time, don't have someone to back you up."

"There is no way in Din that I'm going to let the Royal Family confiscate my pictures." Bethany swore to Ghirahim as she stuffed her picto box in her bag. "I'm going to make sure they get out to the public." She firmly added as she walked away and crossed paths with Zelda, who headed to Ghirahim.

"So was this escapade fun?" She asked with a teasing grin and crossed her arms. "It looked like you didn't mind fighting with some of us."

"I admit that it was nice to return to the old days." Ghirahim responded. "Although I am certainly not looking forward to going to sleep for many years until my true Mistress draws the sword out. Even then, she won't be like you."

"I think you'll do just fine with Hylia's Champion when it's time." Zelda replied as she began to think of Skyloft. "Besides, I have a feeling you won't have to wait for too long."

"You you are that confident that I can be patient with someone who isn't as skilled as you?" Ghirahim shook his head with a smile. "But hopefully she will be like you in other regards."

"And as for Impa and Koji?" Zelda glanced over to the Sheikahs, who were giving the spirit a very tense look.

"I still hate them." Ghirahim bluntly answered.

"Likewise!" Koji yelled. "We still hate you too!"

"You're somewhat ok." Ruto admitted as she crossed in front of Ghirahim and Zelda. "Though I still think you are a poor excuse of a jester."

"At least I can take care of myself and not have anyone carry me around on my back!" Ghirahim snapped back.

Ruto snickered as she approached Bethany, who began to take out some pictures to show her before she had to go. All this and more happened as they all concluded their time together.

Then it finally came- the moment when the parting had to come.

Liam glanced to the residents of the past as they stood in front of him, while Zelda and the army of knights stood behind him.

"We have caused more harm then good." Liam apologized. "Because of Ceiya, the timeline was almost destroyed and now I have to make amends. It's time to fix the timeline and send you back home to your respective eras where everyone needs you."

"Ok, question before that happens." Ruto held a finger up. "We've seen the future and we know what's going to happen to Hryule. What is going to keep us from ruining the timeline as it is with that knowledge?"

"She has a point." One of the knights admitted. "It would drive them mad if they have to live with that."

Liam gave himself a moment to compose himself as he realized that this was it. The moment where he had to burn the bridges to save Hyrule.

He looked at each of them: the spirit, the leaders of two respectable races, an eccentric young lady, and a handful of Twilis. They were waiting for him to have the final say in all of this.

"There will be a way for me to correct the timeline." Liam finally confessed "And it will effect you."

"So... imagine the timeline as an elastic band." Liam held his index fingers out. "Ceiya stretched out your eras until they remained frozen in one moment." He drifted his fingers out. "Your age, your immunity to the light, the time of day- everything stopped when it was taken out. Everything has to reset back to the way it was, in it's proper place." The fingers were brought back together again. "But there is a high chance that it's going to effect everyone's mental being. Once you guys go back, your memories will either vanish or be suppressed into your mind as dreams." He glanced to Darunia and Ruto in particular as he tried to simplify what he meant.

"In short, none of you guys were supposed to be aware of the future. The Master Sword can act as a means of transporting an individual into the future or the past under the right circumstances, so it's like Ceiya's magic. But Ceiya went too far in manipulating time and everything has to be rearranged in it's proper place order for time to function correctly again."

Everything fell silent as realization hit them all.

"So what your saying," Darunia said slowly "is that we have to forget everything that has happened. From the moment we first met in our era to this moment in time."

"That's... correct." Liam reluctantly confirmed.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

All eyes turned to see that it was Zelda who yelled as she walked towards Liam.

"You don't understand!" She angrily began as she threw her hands out. "They went through so much because of us! We became _friends_ with them! They had to endure facing the past versions of me!" She felt her eyes beginning to water as she continued on. "I know! I don't remember being them all at once, but I remember the conversations they had with each of them as if they were dreams! We _can't_ take this all away from them like they were nothing to us! Why does it have to be this way?! Why do we have to take away the experiences and make them go back the way they were before?!"

Liam couldn't answer and looked away.

"Is there another way?!" Zelda pleaded. "We can't do this! We can't just-"

It definitely was not just Zelda who was as upset. Koji looked at Daphne in alarm as the Twili could only give him a helpless look before bitting her lip and looking away, and even Bethany was already sobbing behind her hand at the realization of what was to come. A handful of knights were stunned at the very thought that they would be forgotten within a short amount of time, and nobody knew what to do.

"But we weren't supposed to have seen the future."

Zelda turned to the source of the voice- of all the characters from the past, the last one she ever expected to say those words was the young eccentric who stood next to Zant.

"It is true that we were not supposed to be taken out of our own timeline." Agitha glanced up to Zelda. "The caterpillar cannot avoid entering a cocoon if she want's to become a butterfly. Eventually that butterfly has to meet her end, and while she is not supposed to know what the next spring will be like, her children will remember her as they experience that spring for her. Instead of mourning for what we are going to lose, you all have to remember for us. Remember when the past came to help the future, before it had to go home. Remember, even when it's too painful to look back on those times or at the pictures or the history books. Remember our time and learn something from it. Remember this all for our sakes."

Zelda stared in shock at Agitha, as did many others. She did not expect the girl to have that sort of wisdom.

Could she remember for them all? Could she remember what was important?

"The young lady does speak the truth." Impa admitted. "At least we can honor them this way."

With a small nod of agreement Liam finally turned around and summoned the portals to the past. Three separate golden portals appeared behind those who were meant to go through them, and though they were aware of their presence, they instead took in the future for one last time.

A future of knights and warriors who grew up on their stories and strove to fight for their homeland, no matter the cost. A future where a hero helped bring them together and unite them as equals.

They gazed at all their faces, but for at least four of them, the very last face they dared to look at- the last thing they would ever see before going back to the life they knew before- was the blonde warrior who clasped her hands together as if in prayer, but was fighting back her tears with as much strength she could manage, but was failing to do so.

"Until next time." Zant finally spoke, before turning around to leave. Those who belonged to his time followed him into the portal. Without warning, Darunia lifted Ruto onto his shoulder and held her in pace as they also went into the portal while Ghirahim went into his portal all by himself.

Finally, the portals vanished, and all traces of the past had disappeared.

All except three things. Three things that would sever the past from the future completely, no matter how hard or sad it was going to be.

Zelda placed her hands on her face and took a deep breath to compose herself, before she turned to face Liam with a knowing look. "Let's put Hyrule back in order." She told him. Even if the loss of the memories would be because of her, she had to do it. She had to force herself to think of the future and protect it, no matter how painful it was going to be to seal the past away for good.

"The way it should be." Link agreed as he stepped forward.

Everyone watched as the holders of the Triforce came to bring their hands together to summon out the sacred relics. They watched as the golden triangles came out in a golden light and came together to form the familiar symbol before it took to the sky and let out a strong burst of light.

The three areas of the past disappeared the same way they came- the purple around Skyloft retreated inward and the light retreated over Death Mountain and the old Eldin Provence until nothing was left. The lands and the sky were returned back to normal and the sky once more returned to it's natural blue as if to signify that peace had finally returned.

The golden triangles separated and retreated back to their original holders and once this had been done, they took in the change of scenery with amazement and wonder.

"There. Things should be as they were." Liam confidently told them. "And with that, I should probably go."

As Liam walked away, Zelda felt a sense of concern for him. "Liam?" She asked and he momentarily hesitated. "Will we meet again?"

"...Good bye."

Zelda watched on as the sorcerer walked away without looking back.

"What should we do?" She asked Link. "We can't just-"

"Leave him be." Link gently stopped her. "I'm sure he has a lot to deal with right now."

As for Liam, he retreated to the Temple and sealed off the final gate of souls. As soon as this was accomplished, something flashed at the corner of his eye and he turned to watch as a bird flew off into the sky.

Hopefully the bird was a sign that maybe things could truly return to normal. He wanted so much to be with the others, but there was work that needed to be done, and he felt that he didn't have the right to be amongst them after all that had happened and what he had done.

From then on... he had no idea what to do with his life.

 **-Hyrule Castle Town (one day later)-**

The Gorons had to return to their homeland, so they parted ways with the rest of the army, as did Saria, Sunny, and Nabooru since they had homes to return to and protect. All that remained were those who first started the journey, plus their future king.

All citizens welcomed their army of heroes and knights with an eruption of cheers from the entrance to the city to the gates to Hyrule Castle.

Almost all members of the army glanced around to take in their welcoming, and while they were happy to be back, they could still feel the lingering costs of the war.

Gradually, the members of the army broke off to rejoin their loved ones- Kay ran off to reunite with Rosette, Winslow moved away from Impa and the other commanders to return to his waiting husband and children, and even sons like Pipit were ambushed by worrying parents who thanked the Goddesses that they returned safely.

The others quietly reflected back on what was lost. Koji had out his drawing pad and examined a drawing of Daphne that he made of her that he wanted to give to her, but now it was too late and the meaning would have been lost on her. Bethany clutched her picto box in her arms as she prayed that the photos and the memories wouldn't be taken away.

It was all surreal- they had finally achieved peace and restored sanity, but it came with costs that affected them all.

Zelda reflected that none of these people who were celebrating their return realized what had truly happened- the cause of the war, her involvement, those who helped them, or the sacrifices and losses that caused it.

* * *

Impa quietly watched Link and the king from a distance as Aryll stood by her side.

"Aryll told me what had happened." Alfon began.

"I know that it's my fault I let most of this happen." Link struggled to make eye contact with his uncle and proceeded with this conversation, despite how much he didn't want to have it. "What I did as Shadow was irresponsible and I should have confided in Impa and the others. I know some of the things I've done aren't suited for a ruler of a country- I've been arrogant, I've gone drinking with my friends, I've put lives in danger, and I've rushed into things without asking for help- I don't know if all I've done to make it up to our people would ever be enough. I don't even think I could ever be as good of a ruler as you or our ancestors."

Alfon observed his nephew for a moment, before he placed his hand on the young man's shoulder.

"No one is destined to be perfect Link- especially kings or wise men. If everything was perfect, it would be much harder to appreciate what makes us someone or something special. If anything, you have learned from your experiences, and there is no reason for you to be punished for it."

"But what if it happens again?" Link asked nervously, and the fear in his eyes was very clear. "What if I find myself making the same mistakes? What if I let my vices consume me?"

"Well that depends on what kind of man you want to become. Are you a man who remembers, or a man who ignores his experiences? Are you going to have the strength to move on from the guilt and do what you can, or are you going to let yourself be trapped by it?"

Link thought over those words before lifting his left hand up to glance at it.

"There's something I want to do." He answered. "There's been a negative outcome from this war that has to be fixed and we need to do something to protect our people in the event that the worst has yet to come."

* * *

"Let's hear it for Zelda!"

Without any warning, Zelda felt herself hoisted into the air and found herself sitting on Groose's shoulders. She let out a gasp of air and steadied herself as Groose let out a holler and pumped his fist up into the air. He was quickly joined by the enormous group of knights, who also threw their fists and their weapons into the air and cheered for Zelda.

"We wouldn't have won the war if it wasn't for her!" Groose declared. "Our hero is what bound us all together!"

"And we're going into the history books with her!" Bethany yelled as she held her picto box up.

As the knights cheered again, Proxy flew up to Zelda. "So Zelda." He began. "now you really are a hero, just like in the stories. You've come along way since we first met."

"We all did." Zelda replied as she pulled the Master Sword out of it's scabbard. As she looked at the blade, she reflected back on that day when she entered the battle- she had come a long way, and so much had happened that she never expected would be possible.

" _Remember this all for our sakes."_

The past was gone- the bad and the good, and Zelda swore to herself that she would never dare forget what happened on her journey.

Zelda grinned and held the sword up as high as she could. In turn, her friends and companions once more held their fists and weapons up into the air and cheered as equals.

"LONG LIVE HYRULE! LONG LIVE ZELDA!"

 **-Temple of the Sacred Sword-**

A dark miasma seeped out of the pedestal of the Master Sword and crawled it's way to a locked chest that was identical to those found in three past eras. When the miasma surrounded the chest, the locks snapped and fell off to allow the lid to open so that a sinister orb of red energy could escape.

Three identical orbs came from different directions to rejoin with this freed orb, and they spun together with an increasing speed, until they formed a dark smoke from which a wild red haired man emerged.

A man that almost all of Hyrule forgot about in the midst of the chaos and the new peace.

Ganondorf could feel it- pure, raw energy at it's whole, undivided peak coursing through his veins. All of his power was restored to it's true glory and he could once more do as he pleased.

There would be _nothing_ stopping him now. No pathetic sorcerer or his light half, no army of knights, no foolish descendant of those who continuously defeated him, and certainly no hero who relentlessly went after him like some pest that wouldn't go away.

He had many lives worth of experience to know better this time. He knew exactly what he had to do to take over this land and their golden relic for himself.

Ganondorf let out a laugh as he felt his power envelop him, before he vanished from the accursed temple. It was about time that he paid a return to his birth lands, but first, there was something that needed to be addressed. Something that would give him a great advantage for the war he would inflict upon those pathetic Hylians.

He reappeared in a secluded area near the Gerudo Valley- someplace far from any curious or suspicious eyes. It was there that he began to conduct the spell needed to find those he needed.

The blue haired maiden who was more than she seemed... and the fiery royal who once served under him. Both lost or in hiding- he did not know which, but he could pin point their exact location.

He raised his hands out and two separate portals appeared on the ground. From them arose an oddly dressed girl whose face showed no emotion, and an elegant but very startled looking young woman who clutched a large circular object on her hands.

The portals vanished and the females gave their attention to Ganondorf. The quiet one made no response, but the other's eyes widened in recognition.

"G-Ganondorf?!" She stammered. "You're _alive_?!"

"It has been awhile Midna." Ganondorf calmly addressed her. "For you, it hasn't been long, but it has been a lifetime or two for me, and as you can clearly see, I am more than alive."

"Your aura." The other girl tilted her head and gave Ganondorf a calculating look. "I have sensed it before."

"Perhaps it is because I allowed Ceiya to be my host." He replied to her. "I am aware that he owes you both a reward for your services."

"And where is he?" Midna demanded. "Where's Bird Face?"

"The foolish sorcerer is dead, and all of Hyrule believes that they are in a time of peace once more." Ganondorf let out a small, amused smirk. "Little do they suspect that I am now the one they should be afraid for, as I still desire the Triforce and I seek to reclaim my share."

He glanced over their heads and stared at the green fields behind them. "I promise to make your service to me worth your while. I know you both desire something, and you can only get it when I finally acquire what I seek. This time, I know what I must do- and no hero, nor all of Hyrule will be able to stop me."

* * *

 **HYRULE WARRIORS WARPED WILL RESUME LATE MARCH 2-**

"WAIT, WHAT?!"

HolyMaiden glanced up to see that Ganondorf, Midna, and Fi were glaring angrily at her.

"WE HAVEN'T SHOWN UP IN THIS FIC SINCE LAST SUMMER!" Midna yelled. "AND NOW YOU WANT TO TAKE A BREAK?!"

"Hey, you try balancing a fan fic with life, school, and other projects!" HolyMaiden24 snapped back. "I need a breather after how hectic this month was, and I need Time's Trade to get up to date because I'd like to finish it before finishing this one."

"Which wouldn't have happened if you hadn't decided to manage three fan fics at once." Fi calmly pointed out.

"I KNOW! CURSE MY URGES TO DO THAT! CURSE THEM!"

HolyMaiden24 froze when Ganondorf suddenly took out his swords and she gulped.

But then pressed a button on her laptop and vanished to a secret location where Lexi and the others were.

"Oh that was close." She sighed and set the laptop aside, before Lexi walked up and wordlessly handed her a letter. She glanced at the letter and lanced over it, before her blood turned to ice.

"...THEY'RE MAKING ME OWE SOMEONE MONEY FOR BUILDING THE TORTURE CHAMBER FROM TWILIGHT TWISTS THAT THEY PUT ME THROUGH?!" She was almost screaming. "WHO?! WHO WOULD THEY POSSIBL-" She stopped when she read the exact sum and almost had a heart attack. "TWENTY THOU-?!" But then she realized something was off about the amount. Why was that amount of money so-

" _.._.Oooohhhh, I'm _so_ going to get murdered for this." She paled as she placed a hand to her neck. "I almost forgot about that one outtake I did. Please tell me I'm going to get the AU version of-"

"So, what now?" Lexi asked.

"Lexi, I hate to say this but you are in charge now." The writer put the letter in her pocket. "I owe a non Zelda character who got dragged into this mess an apology... and I should make it up to Darkrai while I'm at it-"

"The Pokemon Darkrai who had to-?"

"Yes, Lexi!" HolyMaiden24 snapped as she opened up the laptop. "Sorry." She apologized. "Now I trust nothing will happen will I'm gone, right?"

"Uh... maybe?" Lexi nervously glanced to a slightly opened door that lead to where Skull Kid and the others were. "So what should I do if-?"

But the writer and her laptop already vanished.

"Eh, more fun for me." Lexi shrugged and walked back into the other room.

 **...Ok correction:**

 **HYRULE WARRIORS WARPED WILL RESUME LATE MARCH 2016 BUT THE FILLER CHAPTER MIGHT COME EARLIER THAN THAT.**


	16. Recovering from the hiatus

EDIT: Thanks to mysteriousguy898 for pointing out that I wrote 'galleon' instead of 'gallon' in one scene. (though the thought of the alternative is pretty amusing.)

Thank you for your patience. I was able to complete Time's Trade during the hiatus and after some writer's blocks and other things that have occurred, I will be able to resume this fan fic. It may not be perfect, but I reward this filler chapter to you all for your patience. (And thank you so much for your reviews from the last chapter! Those were awesome!)

 **IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE** : In light of the attacks that happened in Belgium, I think it's fair to warn the readers that there is a bomb joke involved in this chapter. I know that violence and fighting is typical in these fanfics, but I wanted to give a warning out of respect to what has been going on in the real world. I also wish to respect those who are sensitive to the current subject matter at hand.

* * *

 **During the hiatus, weird things happened. This is a chronicle of some of those events.**

It was another one of those gray clouded days in Hyrule, which was only the prelude to what was to occur on those field and on that day in question. It was to be a day in which an enemy both alien and familiar was about to commence an attack on those who would stand in its way. As a matter of fact, three figures stared up at their unusual enemy in both confusion and dread.

Zelda- or at least the version that was composed of _all_ her incarnations- let out a nervous laugh. _**"It would figure that this would eventually happen."**_

 **Ultimate fusion-ha**

 **GRACEFUL DEITY ZELDA (GDZ)**

"Lady Wolf, why on earth are you back in that form?" Her reptilian looking companion calmly asked. "I cannot decide if that will be a blessing or, and I quote, 'an overkill.'"

 **King Spinny McCrazy Pants**

 **ZANT**

" _ **I honestly have no idea. I would assume it was out of divine favoritism or that I was too impressive to remain in one chapter- or whatever that means."**_

"That doesn't quite explain what we are up against." A slightly feminine looking companion stared at their opponent and wondered if it was some sort of joke, through he wondered why it was filling him with an overwhelming sense of fear.

 **Lord of the Dance**

 **GHIRAHIM**

Something this commonplace and weak should NOT fill Ghirahim with fear. Ghirahim was the one to fill fear in others- not this abomination in front of him.

"I believe Liam warned me and Agitha about this." Zant reflected. "Though I never expected it would come to this."

" **You know, I think I know this creature from one of my previous lives."** GDZ realized.

The gigantic monster let out a cry that sounded like a laugh. **"COCK-A KA KA COO!" ("THAT'S RIGHT MISSY! YOU THOUGHT YOU SAW THE LAST OF ME, DIDN"T YOU?!")**

 **Le Grande Poulet**

 **GIANT CUCCO**

All eyes stared in apprehension at the overgrown poultry and the three debated on whether or not they could stand a chance against him.

Unfortunately for GDZ, her more observant and childish aspects of her past incarnations were beginning to take over as a strange thought came to her at the least important moment possible. _ **"I just realized something!"**_ GDZ gasped. _**"If Ghirahim was in his pure form, then all of us wouldn't have pupils!**_ **"**

"And your point is, Mistress?" Ghirahim raised an eyebrow as Zant gave the young woman an odd look. "You do know that I can't go into that form at the moment, since it would only cause immense physical pain for me."

" **True,"** GDZ held out the Master Sword. _**"Though I suppose I could lend you this sword and see if we could cheat the system, as you would put it."**_

"Are you sure that would be a wise idea?" Zant asked. "Isn't that sword and Ghirahim one and the same and from different eras at that?"

"I suppose it would be worth a try." Ghirahim shrugged as he held his hand out. "After all, I highly doubt anything will happen beyond feeding all of Hyrule for a month or two."

"I sense that something bad is going to come out of this."

* * *

 **HolyMaiden24 presents**

 **In association with no one in particular**

 **Chapter 16: Recovering from the hiatus**

* * *

Meanwhile, in another dimension, Lexi, Skull Kid, and Scrapper were watching _Inuyasha_ on TV while a very enraged blue fairy was trying desperately to escape from a bottle he was trapped in, while letting out a string of curses.

"Ah Sango, you would totally be my home girl!" Lexi sighed longingly at the character on TV.

 **Ensemble Dark Horse**

 **LEXI**

"To think that we are doing exactly what the Goddesses always do!" Skull Kid let out a laugh. "Dancing Flame, Blue Siren, and Bookworm Beauty were certainly willing to give us a TV in all it's 50 inch glory!"

 **Charmingly annoying**

 **SKULL KID**

"I certainly appreciate the quality of this contraption, even though I think we should watch something more up to date, like _One Punch Man_ , Bzzt." Scrapper noted.

 _ **Really**_ **Annoying**

 **SCRAPPER**

Ivan was gritting his teeth in anger inside the bottle. "What in Din's name did I ever do to deserve this?! When I asked for the Goddesses to do something, I didn't mean make me suffer the most degrading thing ever imaginable!"

 **Observant Ranter**

 **IVAN**

"Truly, a hiatus is a perfect vacation! Think of all the stuff you can get caught up with or focus on before resuming your work!" Lexi sighed in content as she continued watching the anime. "Especially since the next chapter will have-"

There was a crackle of magic in the air and without any warning a dark colored dagger shot between Lexi and Skull Kid's heads and went right into the TV screen, which immediately turned black and cracked before it fell over with a crash.

"GARY NOOOOOO!" Lexi shot up off her spot with a howl of anguish. "What happened to you, Gary?!"

" _I happened to Gary."_ A low voice filled with venom rang out in the room.

All eyes turned to face a very enraged Ghirahim, who was focused solely on Lexi as he lifted his sword at her. His body was already in its pure form (aka the muscular/metallic form) "My past incarnation grabbed the Master Sword of the future and I was able to hijack his body so that I could do as I desire." He snarled. "Unfortunately for the both of us, there is only one thing that I desire to do first-"

"Ah!" Skull Kid clapped his hands in delight. "The Master Sword in the flesh! Its good to see you face to face!"

"MISTRESS GHIRAHIM!" Scrapper cried out in delight. "I have missed you so, BZZT!"

 _Where the heck is his-?_ Lexi looked over the form in confusion.

Ghirahim gave Skull Kid a friendly half smile but he momentarily shot the robot a dirty look. "Oh... right, _you're_ still alive."

"Wait, what?" Lexi glanced at Skull Kid in confusion. "Who is this guy?"

"How many times has 'Wait, what?' been said in this series?" Skull Kid wondered aloud.

"You don't know who I am?" Ghirahim scowled at the boomerang girl. "Well, I suppose it would make sense, since I was never able to directly interact with you, though your presence was so overwhelming that I could barely stomach it."

"I honestly don't know who you are, but you are going to pay for a new TV, you heartless monster!" Lexi pointed a finger at Ghirahim. She then realized something. "Wait a minute, did you guys just refer to him as Ghirahim?"

 _Where did I hear that name before and why does this guy give me a really weird feeling?_ Lexi tried to think back. _I felt this several times before when I was with Zant and-_ Then she remembered:

" _For some reason, I was sensing this_ _ **feeling of intense hatred and jealousy radiating off the Master Sword**_ _." Lexi moaned. "And then_ _ **it felt smug when I heard Zelda mention how she'd rather have the sword over the spinner**_ _. I don't know what that's supposed to mean. Should I be worried about this?"_

Lexi flinched with fear as everything came together. "Oh... _shiitake mushrooms-_ YOU'RE THE MASTER SWORD?!" Her voice raised to a near scream.

"I'm afraid dear girl that if there is to be only one talking weapon in this series, then it will have to be me." Ghirahim readied his sword out. "And no amount of fans will be able to save you."

"You got to be kidding me!" Lexi yelped before she dug through her pockets. "Oh Nayru please tell me I still have the FD mask Tjfanfics99 gave to me!" She then froze. "Oh... right... I left it at home with Faith... crud."

" _ **GHIRAHIM STOP!"**_

Ghirahim turned around to face GDZ and Zant- the latter rushed to Ghirahim's side. _**"Don't you dare attack her! She was one of my allies as the Hero of Twilight, remember?! You can't take your jealousy out on her!"**_ She pleaded as she placed a hand upon his shoulder.

"Oh, I can't take it out on that loud mouth brat whose only gimmick is to produce a gust of wind?!" Ghirahim jabbed a thumb at Lexi. "The same girl who was responsible for a number of other incidents?" He pointed to Ivan, who kept staring at GDZ.

 _Holy mother of Hylia... who is that?!_ Ivan was in awe at the sight of the beautiful, otherworldly woman. _Wait... is it Zelda? It kind of does, but I can't tell._ "Ok, can someone tell me what's going on... wait haven't I heard your voice somewhere?" Ivan asked Ghirahim.

GDZ turned to look at the fairy and the moment she did, one part of her soul overtook the others within her as she let out a gasp of surprised joy. _ **"IVAN?!"**_

She darted to the bottle and knelt beside it. _**"How did you get here?!"**_ She demanded before she let out a laugh of sheer happiness and felt tears forming in her eyes. _**"I can't believe it! I thought I'd never see you again in this lifetime, but here you are! I haven't seen you since- wait-**_ " She frowned. _**"Is this what happened to you when you did that one rant in Ganondorf's Tower and you vanished at the end of it?"**_

"I vote for the safety of Lexi's life." Zant stepped forward and placed a hand on Ghirahim's shoulder like Zelda before him. "I am a little fond of her and consider her to be an ally, despite the injustices she did to me."

"Aw shucks!" Lexi blushed and looked away out of embarrassment. "You're a good pal, Your Majesty!"

"Well of course you would want to save Boomerang's life, Lizard Face!" Skull Kid pipped up with a laugh as he hopped onto the top of the sofa. "Even if she abused the writer's powers to turn you into an imp!"

All serenity vanished from Zant the moment he heard that voice-the moment he heard THAT insult of a nickname.

 _No_ \- he of all individuals from his time just HAD to be in this era.

He let go of Ghirahim and slowly turned to face Skull Kid, who gave him a cheeky wave.

" _...Why... are you... here?"_ Zant slowly asked as an old rage and irritation he thought was long gone began to churn inside him as he began to tremble.

"Well howdy-doody, if it isn't my pal Lizard Face!" Skull Kid laughed. "I heard you got yourself a kingdom and possibly a new-!"

Something inside Zant snapped. "I'M GOING TO RIP YOUR INTESTINES OUT AND STRANGLE YOU WITH THEM, YOU LITTLE WORM!" He shrieked as he swung his weapons out and went right after the Skull Kid.

"Uh oh!" Skull Kid giggled as he took a flying leap off his spot and hurried down a corridor, with Zant in hot pursuit.

Lexi laughed. "Heh- I forgot all about that gag-"

"If you think that was funny, then I'll find _this_ funny!" Lexi turned around in alarm as Ghirahim readied his sword.

Lexi let out a cry and ran off in another corridor, with Ghirahim in hot pursuit.

"Oh great, now both those idiots are after their most hated enemies." Liam sighed as he entered the room with Proxy close by. "We got to stop them before things get out of hand.

 **Magical Anime School Boy**

 **LIAM**

"Oh my Din, is that Ivan?!" Proxy flew to the bottle to get a better look at the other fairy.

 **Adorable**

 **PROXY**

"Uh... who are you?" Ivan asked the fairy before realizing that he had a chance to escape. "Look, can you guys get me out of here and get me back to Zelda?! Please?!"

"Uh... well I suppose we could." Liam glanced to GDZ with a knowing look as he put a finger to his lips as a secret sign. "Though we could use your help on this one."

"OH GODDESSES I'M BEING CHASED BY A CRAZY PSYCHOPATH IN DIAMOND TIGHTS!" Lexi screamed as she ran away from Ghirahim. "WHERE THE HECK IS HOLYMAIDEN244444444444?!"

 **-Somewhere at a Milk Bar in Hyrule Castle Town-**

"CHUG! CHUG CHUG!" All the Goron army pounded their fists as Darunia, Geode, and Orik attempted a gallon challenge, in which all of them would drink a gallon of milk and see who would last the longest before puking.

Well, to be more accurate they were probably going to drink more than one gallon. I don't know why, maybe they had a strong tolerance for it or it had to do with the calcium and I think calcium is a mineral and they are rocks so...

...Actually that logic is pretty stupid. Please ignore it while we resume back to the story.

"I'm putting my money on Darunia!" Shadow yelled from his booth as he sat by Aryll.

 **Epic Troll**

 **SHADOW**

"You are going to take me to that one field when this is all over, right?" Aryll asked. "I mean, I'm a little worried that you're even more reckless than usual when you're like this, big brother."

Shadow turned to Aryll and gave her a smile that was genuine and not as if he was amused or hiding a secret. "Hey just because I'm a darker version of myself at the moment, it doesn't mean I'll think any differently of you. Yeah, I'll be a bit more of a jerk like this, but your still my sister and that sure isn't going to change." Shadow playfully messed Aryll's hair up on the top of her head. "Just think of me as the version that'll help you steal all the cookies from the jar."

Aryll giggled at this.

In the other corner of the Milk Bar, a number of Pokemon that should not really be in this fan fic were at a pool table.

"Yo Darkrai, come on we need you man!" Pikachu waved a paw at the counter. "We're playing for who will pay for the next hang out and we could use your skills!"

"I might in a bit." The nightmare Pokemon tolled Pikachu before turning to face the blonde, who had her head in her hands and had a strange rope around her neck.

"So... sorry again about the goddesses forcing you to be my jailer." HolyMaiden24 began to Darkrai. "That might have partially been because I was in a Pokemon phase at the time."

 **The writer**

 **HolyMaiden24**

"It's alright." Darkrai replied, but then he noticed a bruise mark around the writer's neck. "What happened to you?" He asked in concern.

"Ehhh..." The writer made a face that was cross between a grimace and embarrassment. "I found the one who was commissioned to build that torture chamber, but I wanted to try to use him for an outtake in Time's Trade. Unfortunately I accidentally caused Ivan to make a pretty nasty insult at him that involved a comparison about his... uh... his appearance and the guy got mad at me for it. Fortunately, my nerd side was able to know how to prevent myself from getting killed by the punjab lasso, but I still got the bruises for it." She sighed. "Probably better that than telling him that I couldn't turn rupees into late 19th century French currency."

At this point Lexi ran down the stairs and was screaming her head off while Ghirahim chased after her. She made a beeline to a side door, which she opened by slamming herself into it and Ghirahim merely destroyed it with magic and ran through the hole he made. No one paid any mind to this and continued on their way.

"Why is it that you always make yourself the punching bag in your stories?" Darkrai asked. "The Goddesses messed with the events of Skyward Swaps, killed you with the moon in Twilight Twists, apparently tried to force you into paying a sum of money in this story to a character from a completely different fandom that also almost killed you in Time's Trade. May I ask why?"

"Because I thought it would be funny." The writer sighed again as she looked the Pokemon in the eye. "Its better than being a Mary Sue, but I wish I could at least get one moment of awesome before I quit doing that gag for good. I kind of realize that my fictional self is really immature and is a bad reflection of who I really am if someone were to recognize me in the real world."

"May I take your order?" The bartender asked as he came up to the two.

"Chateau Romani." The writer immediately answered.

"Uh... I'll just take a 7up." Darkrai held a hand up.

"Sorry, but we're all out of soda." The bartender apologized. "Well, we only have grape soda."

Something inside Darkrai's mind snapped and his eye twitched. _"Only... grape... soda?!_ "

He held his hand out and a dark orb began forming in his hand. " **HOW** _ **DARE**_ **YOU! ANY ARTIFICIAL GRAPE FLAVORED SPEW IS AN ABOMINATION UPON ALL OF MAN AND POKE-KIND!"**

"But not grape pie!" HolyMaiden24 pipped up. "That's actually pretty good!"

" _ **RIGGGGGGGHHHHHH!"**_

 _ **-With Lexi-**_

"AAAAAAIIIIGGHHH!" Lexi screamed as she hurried as fast as she could from Ghirahim.

"GET BACK HERE!" He screamed as he hurled daggers at her.

"Ok, get ready for the picto box!" Bethany told Ruto after she moved away from the Zora who was placed in a careful, yet comfortable pose.

Ruto gave a very dazzling grin to Bethany, who took the picture.

"Why are we here?" Bethany turned her head to see Vaati, Groose, Pipit, Nabooru, Volga, and any Zelda character who could be deemed physically appealing to the eyes were waiting in a corner.

"Oh come on, let me have my fun!" Bethany waved a nonchalant hand towards them, but inside she was giggling like a pleased fangirl.

 _Oh I am_ so _going to make a load of rupees in the real world as well as Hyrule when I can make copies of these beauties! I'll be living in a big mansion within a year if I get Link over here!_

Lexi screamed her way between Ruto and Bethany, who was granted a short 'Hello' by Ghirahim as he chased after the Gale Boomerang's spirit.

"Aw crud, I'd make thousands if I had Ghirahim involved!" Bethany snapped her fingers in frustration. "Curse my lack of foresight!"

Eventually the chase lead all the way into the castle city itself. Many watched on in confusion as the two weapon spirits ran through the streets, without knowing exactly who they were or what chaos could ensue.

"I do believe that someone is about to meet a terrible fate." The Happy Mask Salesman chuckled as he watched the scene unfold before him.

 _What did I do to deserve this?!_ Lexi thought. _I know I'm somewhat of an OC slash alternate character interpretation, but I'm not_ that _annoying of an OC slash alternate character interpretation! I just want to be helpful while providing humor in others lives, is that too much to ask?! Apparently not if the Joker's flamboyant cousin is after me!_

Eventually Lexi found herself running into a dead end on the alleyway and when she turned, Ghirahim was right in front of her, with sword pointing just inches from her nose. Lexi almost screamed when she had her heart attack and backed away a few steps with her hands in the air.

"You honestly think your stupidity and occasional usefulness could win me over?" Ghirahim calmly asked, though his true feelings were all to evident in his eyes. "I don't _share_ a wielder with just anyone, boomerang child."

"And this is coming from the being who is used alongside a specific item with each boss fight?" Lexi demanded.

"I don't share with slingshots-"

"They're pretty fun in real life-"

"-Spinners-"

"-That one might not be so much-"

"Hammers, mirror shields, gust jars, ball and chains- I do _not_ share with bows-"

"They've been needed since the first game... or was that _A Link to the Past_?"

"-I don't share with hookshots, no matter how useful they seem-"

"Which ones? There's Gregory, Cliff, Mark, Chelsea, Ricardo, Suzuki-"

"AND I ESPECIALLY DON'T SHARE WITH BOOMERANGS!" Ghiahim almost screamed as his hand began to tremble with anger. "THAT INCLUDES BOOMERANGS INHABITED BY SPIRITS SUCH AS YOURSELF!"

"What, you jelly bro?" Lexi asked as she stopped being scared and was raising an eyebrow at Ghirahim. Not liking her attitude or her replacement for the word 'jealousy,' Ghirahim retorted "Boomerangs are just a short lived cheap gimmick that deal little to no damage! They have no purpose in the art of battle!"

Something inside Lexi snapped, and it snapped hard before it shattered into fine powdery dust that fell to the metaphorical ground. Her fears and wonder disappeared and her face took on a blank feature.

"Boomerangs..." She began as the wind began to pick up around her, making her clothes and hair flap in its hold. "...are gimmicks, you say?"

Seconds later, a thick tornado of wind engulfed her and almost blew Ghirahim away but he held his ground and waited to see what would happen as the tornado flashed with a greenish white color. When it finally cleared away, the spirit of the boomerang had taken on a new appearance.

Her clothing stayed on her body, but it became more elegant in design and gave her a sort of royalty about her appearance. Her skin look on a white pearl like surface that was tinged with green on her arms and legs. In her hand was the Gale Boomerang, but it was as big as her, if not larger.

"Do you have any idea which cultures and fictional characters you must have insulted with what you just said, you glorified butter knife?" Lexi asked as she opened her eyes to reveal that they were completely greenish-brown. "Because now I have a reason to defend myself against you, as well as my honor as the spirit of the Gale Boomerang."

Instead of feeling intimidated by the fact that Lexi was now in a pure form, Ghirahim let out a pleased laugh. "Finally you prove your true nature!" He held his sword out and gave Lexi a bloodthirsty smile. "I will take great delight in proving why the sword is the better weapon, little boomerang child."

"Ladies first!" Lexi grinned back as she waved her boomerang over her head and readied herself as the sky above them was darkened by the blanket of stormy clouds.

The two stared each other down as a silence passed in the alleyway and waited for someone to make a move. Finally, the long awaited duel of destiny was at hand- it was now a question of who would be the victor.

Silence. No motion. Waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

"Insert awesome battle music of awesome choice!" Lexi screamed as she charged towards Ghirahim, who almost dropped his sword at what the boomerang girl just did, but before he could do anything, Lexi swung her boomerang right into him and he was sent up into to the sky.

With the wind to guide her, Lexi leapt and soared up into the air, after Ghirahim.

Ghirahim was quick to recover from the attack and sent daggers after Lexi, who quickly moved aside and tossed her boomerang at Ghirahim. Ghirahim not only bent over to dodge, but also made his body dive right back towards the earth. Lexi scowled, but she grabbed her boomerang when it came back and dived after Ghirahim, with a burst of wind to pick up the speed.

As soon as Lexi was close enough, Ghirahim turned his sword to a larger blade and swung it at the girl. Lexi was able to block the attack with her boomerang and exchanged a few more blows with Ghirahim before she tried to strike him down with a vertical blow but Ghirahim vanished and reappeared above her. He sent her a kick to her back and she was sent speeding to the ground at a faster pace as she turned around to face him and threw her boomerang at him again.

Ghirahim merely swung it aside with the sword.

"Oh crud buckets!" Lexi glanced down to see that she was about to land on a rooftop, but she surrounded herself with wind and not only slowed her descent but she ended up floating above the roof with her hands out. Before Ghirahim could go after her, she guided herself towards where she saw the boomerang land. And where did this boomerang land?

In a field filled with nothing but pots and jugs as far as the eye could see.

"Oh... sweet Hylia." A wide eyed Shadow was having a hard time breathing as he stared at the bounty while Aryll nervously looked at him. "THIS IS AWESOME!" He over excitedly threw his hands out as the boomerang landed in the ground behind him. "There's no way I can keep this all to myself! I have to share this bounty!"

He pulled out a hammer from the mirror while Lexi landed right behind him. She rushed to grab the boomerang as Aryll asked. "What is that, big brother?"

"You see this in front of us Aryll?" Shadow pointed to your screen which was right in front of him, while Lexi succeeded in getting the boomerang out of the ground. "This this the only thing separating the reader from our world and I'm going to smash it to bits."

"Why?" Aryll asked as Lexi let out a frantic squeak and darted away as Ghirahim ran after her.

"Because I'm generous enough to share the bounty, which I will smash to my heart's content." Shadow wickedly grinned in eager anticipation as he smacked the hammer in his hand before he moved his arm back to smash your screen.

 **-The bar-**

The writer stared at the destroyed wall in front of her while a heavily panting Darkrai struggled to calm down from his rage over artificial grape flavored food. At the same time, tables had been flipped over, dust was escaping up into the air, and customers were sprawled about- alive but heavily asleep while writhing about or even screaming in the nightmares that they were forced to suffer as a consequence of Darkrai's attack.

The writer sighed as Zant chased after Skull Kid behind her. "I'm not paying for the damages." She declared as another bartender came up to her.

"Uh, we are out of the ingredients to make Chateau Romani. All we have is the ingredients to make a chocolate Chateau Romani but the production hasn't been doing too well."

HolyMaiden24 stared at the bartender as Lexi bursted through the roof and blocked a series of daggers from Ghirahim. "And its made by-?"

"-feeding chocolate to the cows." The bartender finished. "We find that incorporating cacao beans in their feed works better than simple blocks of chocolate."

The writer's eyes widened in disbelief as Ghirahim tried swinging a sword at Lexi, who tried swinging her boomerang at him. Lexi finally swung the boomerang so hard that she sent Ghirahim flying through a hole in the building and she flew after him while the writer smacked her head into the counter with a groan.

"I have no idea whats going on anymore."

 **-Somewhere in the desert-**

Ganondorf, Midna and Fi were still waiting in the desert.

"Were we forgotten?" Midna asked.

"The sooner I can start my campaign to conquer Hyrule, the happier I can be." Ganondorf growled in irritation.

Lexi hopped right across them and Ghirahim tried to take a swipe at her, which she was able to dodge. She swung her boomerang at Ghirahim, which he was quick to block.

"Oh hey Midna!" Lexi waved at the princess while she still tried to attack Ghirahim. "Congratulations on getting that HD remake!"

The Twilight Princess became confused as the other members of her team watched the fight in mild fascination. "What are you talking about?" Midna asked, but Lexi was unable to answer as she chased after Ghirahim.

 **-? I don't even know anymore-**

" **GHIRAHIM WAIT!"** GDZ screamed when Ghirahim zipped past her and Lexi followed suit. She took out her sword and began to run after them while Proxy and Ivan followed suit.

"So I'm going to be famous in the future?" Ivan asked Proxy.

"Eh, mostly for good reasons." Proxy confessed. "But apparently that depends on which universe, gender, or tolerance level you are looking into."

"That makes little to no sense."

"Its probably better not to know the answer to that question."

" **ARGH!"**

"ZELDA!" Proxy screamed in fear as GDZ collapsed to the ground and held a hand to her chest. She began to heave as if she ran a marathon, despite that her body could last longer than that of a Hylian or a human's body.

" **Cant... hold... this form."** GBZ grunted as her eyes widened. **"Too much minds running through my head... fighting for dominance... Need to... get into a... into a less painful form... AGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!** " She exploded in a burst of light.

"Mistress?!" Ghirahim turned his head back in alarm. Unfortunately, this gave Lexi the time she needed to unleash a swing at him.

"AND THIS IS FOR GARY!" She screamed as she summoned a large tornado that sucked Ghirahim in and tossed in her boomerang, which repeatedly hit him several times inside it. When she deemed that enough time had passed (two minutes) she made the tornado vanish and the boomerang went flying back into her hand as Ghirahim fell into the ground like a comet. This resulted in a huge cloud of dirt and dust that exploded up into the air.

 _I... cant believe I'm getting defeated by a boomerang._ Ghirahim thought as the dust began to settle away from him. _I'm afraid to find out what other humiliation is in store for me._

"Ok, before I claim victory over you, I have a question." Ghirahim found the edge of a large boomerang aimed just inches from his face. The wielder looked down upon him with a determined, yet questioning look. "So... why do you have Ken doll anatomy? I mean, you're one of the closest Zelda characters to ever be canonically nude IN a Zelda game if the rumors are correct."

Irritated that Lexi's words were nowhere near honorable for one who believed she had defeated her opponent, Ghirahim rolled his eyes with a sigh. "You do realize that weapon spirits do not have a true gender, correct?"

Lexi was now confused. "Huh?"

"Despite our obvious differences, we don't have a true gender. We just choose to go which ever way we please. I prefer a masculine form and you went towards a feminine identity."

Lexi felt her mind beginning to break as she struggled with what Ghirahim was trying to tell her. "So... in other words... your saying that I'm a... I'm a... a... a... h...h...her...hermaph-"

"No, but you are a brain dead idiot. You would know if you were-"

"I AM A FEMALE AND I AM PROUD OF IT! I AM NOT LETTING YOU OR NINTENDO DECIDE WHAT I AM!" Lexi screamed as she raised her weapon up and made to bring it down on Ghirahim.

"STOP!"

Lexi did just that at the moment her boomerang was inches from breaking Ghirahim's nose.

She turned her head to see Zelda rushing towards her, with Proxy and Ivan by her side. The Hylian regained her current incarnation's form, but there was a noticeable change- for some reason she was dressed as Ilia.

"Nice hair." Lexi snickered as she eyed Zelda's unusual bob.

"I swear to Nayru, I'm never going into 'God mode' ever again." Zelda felt a vein pop in her forehead. "Do you have any idea how long it took to grow out my hair to that length?! That was my pride and joy!"

"Actually I think you look hot with short hair." Ivan admitted before he realized he made a mistake in confessing that out loud. "I mean you look cute with long hair but..."

"Ok, I get it!" Zelda frantically waved her hands as she cringed. An old companion of a past incarnation being attracted to her was one thing, but if that incarnation regarded him as a brotherly figure, then it was too weird for her to handle.

The Hylian sighed "Look, I need Ghirahim back- one reason being that the physical form your facing belongs to the era of my first incarnation and the timeline will collapse if he dies."

"And the other?" Lexi asked.

"The Big Cucco somehow underwent, and I quote, a 'fusion-ha' in our absence. Liam promised to watch over Skull Kid for Zant, who will be joining us shortly."

 _Oh thank the gods for the only thing on par with the gods that could kill us all._ Ghirahim sighed in relief.

"Oh sweet, I want to help Zant with Skull Kid later!" Lexi grinned. "Now what happened to the Cucco?"

 _ **-Somewhere out on the field-**_

" **YoU! ThE blOnDE onE anD the WierdOes."**

"Oh for the love of Din, did Bongo Bongo come back to life?!" Ivan glanced around.

Zelda found the one who spoke and when she did her jaw dropped. Both Zant and Ghirahim followed suit and while one raised a one existent eyebrow at what it saw, the other blinked before crossing his arms.

" **YoU'Re AnTi-verSioN of LiNK deCided to InviTe thoSe aCCursed villAins tO slAugHtEr mY kin! YoU HAVe BeeN kIllIng uS alL ofF foR oVeR tHirTy YeArs! NoW, WiTh tHe ComBinED InvinCibIliTy oF tHe HonORABle CuCCo, I ShalL avENGE mY fAlleN anD EnD tHe GrEEn MenACE onCE aNd foR ALL!"**

"... How long have I been stuck in that bottle again?" Ivan asked as he glanced at a huge pot- almost as big as Hyrule Castle- that was covered in feathers. "Because I think the lack of oxygen and insanity has finally gotten to me."

 **Meret Oppenheim would be proud**

 **GIANT POT (GP)**

"Well isn't this going to be fun." Zelda sighed as she took her sword out.

 **GIANT POT has been confronted.**

 **PROXY: "Yeah, I think I'm getting out of here. I can't fight like you guys."**

 **PROXY leaves the fight**

 **IVAN: "Well neither can I, but you don't see me flying away, you coward!"**

 **ZELDA attacks. -150 HP to GIANT POT.**

 **GHIRAHIM uses HEAL. +3500 HP to GHIRAHIM.**

 **ZANT ATTACKS. -396 HP to GIANT POT.**

 **IVAN ANALYZES.**

 **GIANT POT attacks. -2678 HP to ZELDA.**

 **GIANT POT: "FirSt thE rePlAceMent, thEN mY Old enEmy, tHeN aLL tHosE faNs!"**

 **ZANT: "This is incredibly ridiculous- are we to be defeated by this of all monsters?"**

 **IVAN: "Wait a minute, what if we dropped a bomb into it?"**

 **GHIRAHIM: "And where, pray tell, can you get a bomb large enough to-"**

 **ZELDA: "Ah wait a minute! I know a guy who can help! Distract that thing for me for a moment, ok?"**

 **ZELDA temporarily retreats.**

 **IVAN: "Well... crud."**

 **IVAN attacks. -1 HP to GIANT POT.**

 **GHIRAHIM uses DAGGER BARRAGE. -4009 HP to GIANT POT.**

 **ZANT uses SPECIAL ATTACK! ZANT USES ZANT-ZILLA MODE! -5000- 4986 -6432 HP to GIANT POT.**

 **GIANT POT uses SMASH! -4532 HP to ZANT. -4532 HP to GHIRAHIM. -7039 HP to IVAN.**

 **IVAN eats SUPER MUFFIN. +9999 HP to IVAN.**

 **GHIRAHIM uses GORGEOUS RAGE! -8987 HP to GIANT POT!**

 **ZANT takes his robes off and uses HYPNOTIC HIP DANCING.**

 **ZANT: "You know you want this."**

 **GIANT POT was mesmerized! GHIRAHIM was mesmerized! a returning ZELDA was mesmerized! WRITER was mesmerized! READER was mesmerized. IVAN wasn't mesmerized- IVAN is immune.**

 **IVAN: "WTF?! Oh wait ZELDA has the bomb!"**

 **ZELDA acquired GIANT BOMB.**

 **ZELDA uses GIANT BOMB.**

 **GIANT POT "WAIT A MINUTE! I'M PART ANIMAL! YOU'RE GOING TO COMMIT AN ANIMAL CRUELTY RELATED CRIME!"**

 **GHIRAHIM:...**

 **ZANT:...**

 **IVAN:...**

 **ZELDA: Oh my gosh! I am so sorry! I didn't-**

 **BOOOOOOOOOM! OVERKILL! -9999 HP to GIANT POT!**

 **GIANT POT HAS BEEN DEFEATED!**

 **ZELDA: "...Whoopsie."**

"Ah, nothing says sweet revenge and ultimate fun like defeating two infamous things in this franchise in one shot." Zelda laughed but then frowned. "Still, I'm a little concerned about what it said about the..." Her voice trailed off as she saw a small cucco that was laying in a pile of broken clay in front of them.

"...Or maybe we just got lucky and the cucco lived."

 **The Cucco survived a full recovery and was sent to a loving family. The pot was never heard from again.**

 **It had momentary revenge in the after life when everyone involved in the pot destroying party was charged over 100 trillion rupees in property damage.**

 **However, because none of these events could be deemed canon and were doomed to be erased thanks to time travel, all the charges were destroyed.**

Sometime later in Hyrule Castle town, an interesting event was about to occur.

"KEAYH!" Skull Kid tried to wriggle free from the rope that was tied him up as he was hoisted up into the air by Lexi.

"Go nuts, big guy." Lexi grinned at Zant, who loomed over Skull Kid.

"This moment was delayed for far too long, my rude little friend." Zant coldly informed the imp. "I look forward to doing this by my own hand."

"Wait a minute, you can't harm me!" Skull Kid frantically tried to escape from his bonds. "You're supposed to be a good guy, remember? Good guys don't take it out on people like us!"

Zant let out a low chuckle. "Oh, but you forget something important." He drew his hand back and turned it into a fist. "Canonically, I'm actually one of the best and most loved Zelda villains in the franchise!"

Zant threw his fist right under and into Skull Kid's stomach.

 **Zant FINALLY got the sweet revenge he had been seeking from Skull Kid and it was glorious. To celebrate his revenge, he invited others to have a go at Skull Kid.**

"Best... day... ever." Shadow grinned as he walked away from the field of broken shards of pots, with Aryll in tow.

 **Shadow was given charges- not for property damage but for bringing a minor into a bar, despite that you could get away with it if you wear that cow hat mask as a child. (Yeah, that messed up legal system from Termina seems to apply to Hyrule.)**

 **Shadow's response was to set the charges on fire. Right in front of the cop's face.**

 **He is currently sentenced for five months in jail if he ever shows his face in Hyrule again.**

"Please send me back." Ivan begged the writer. "I can't stand this place and I want to go back to MY Zelda. And I want to forget everything that ever happened here- please for the love of Nayru, I think my mind would break if this keeps up."

"Are you sure you don't want to meet the Zelda of this era?" HolyMaiden24 asked.

"She's a nice girl, but I want to get back to my Zelda. That long haired chick kidnapped me."

HolyMaiden24 gave the fairy a well meaning smile. "You know I don't know if you'll ever show up in this series again, but I enjoyed writing you. You ended up making a lot of readers happy and you made them laugh. So, I guess this might be good-bye."

"Thanks? Wait a minute... I saw you get strangled by the two faced re-dead guy back at Ganondorf's tower. How did you survive-"

"BYE!" HolyMaiden24 typed something into her laptop and a portal appeared under Ivan.

"ZELDA I'M COMINGGGGGGG!" Ivan yelled as he was sucked in.

"You know in hindsight he should have had a chance to talk to Zelda while she was still in GDZ mode." The writer scratched her head. "Considering that he's going to... ah never mind. I sent him back and he's happy with his Zelda." She glanced to Ghirahim. "But since I have my laptop, I might as well do one more thing."

 **Ivan went back, but if he had been more aware of what was going to happen in his era then he should have stuck around longer. As for Ghirahim-**

In a pop of magic, Hylia (the male gender swapped version, in case you forgot) appeared.

"What the-?" The God looked around in confusion. "Where am I?"

"Hylia!" Hylia turned around to see that Ghrahim managed to get really close to him and he was forced to take a few steps back. The weapon smugly continued "I was able to awake without your chosen hero coming for me." He grinned. "Also, I want to do this while I still have the chance."

Before Hylia could ask, Ghirahim grabbed the god by the armor and proceeded to give him a full on kiss on the lips.

"MPH?!" Hylia asked as he struggled to pull away, but Ghirahim held on tight and deepened the kiss in retaliation.

Zelda could only stare from the sidelines as Proxy gapped at the sight. "Uh... huh. That's new but I guess it was to be expected." She could not look away from the sight.

"HA!" Bethany excitedly cheered as she took a picture of the moment. "That's going to make me thousands of rupees overnight!"

Elsewhere, Shadow felt an overwhelming sensation as if he was incredibly sick to his stomach and wanted to hurl into a trash can.

 **Bethany was charged for taking pictures of people without their permission or consent and was thought to be like any other annoying paparazzi or stalker with a crush. All her photos were confiscated.**

 **Oh, and I guess Ghirahim got to kiss male!Hylia.**

Holymaiden24 sighed as she returned to the milk bar, where Darkrai finally got his 7up.

"Ok, I really want to go back to writing Ganondorf's chapters now." She opened up her laptop and began to type.

 **-Wait, I'm forgetting something, aren't I?-**

All of the Hylian Army stood by the edge of Lake Hylia as they awkwardly saluted towards the shores, while the waters shone from the dying rays of the setting sun in a blue and red sky. This was directed to to a fallen figure and the woman who held him in his arms as she stood within the beautiful waters of the Lake Hylia.

The woman was a sobbing mess- snot was dripping out of her nose and everything, but she deserved the right to be a sobbing mess, considering who she had lost that day.

"Gary... why did you have to die?!" Lexi sobbed to the destroyed TV in her hands. "We hadn't spent enough time together and yet you gave me some of the best times of my life! _Naruto, Inuyasha, Avatar the Last Airbender, Dragonball Z, Dragonball Z abridged_ -" she sniffed. "May you return to the earth and be reborn into a good TV for a future gamer."

She let go of Gary, who sank into the depths of the lake. She never looked away and watched as he sank further and further away until he vanished from sight.

"Godspeed." She saluted to the TV.

"Godspeed." Scrapper and Skull Kid saluted from behind.

"Did we really just rip-off a different video game franchise with this funeral?" A knight asked.

"WHY AM I WEARING THIS?!" Link yelled as he gestured to his postman's outfit.

 **Oh yeah, him too**

 **LINK**

"These shorts are really uncomfortable for one reason too many." Link grumbled to himself. "That and I had a bunch of fangirls chase after me."

"Uh-huh." Zelda (who had regained her long hair) mumbled as she eyed Link's outfit and enjoyed the spectacular view in all its sleeveless shirt and short shorts glory.

 **I wan't to go back to writing the serious stuff in this fic now. Guess its time to be writing for Ganondorf for a change.**

* * *

 **I do not own Legend of Zelda or it's characters, One Punch Man, Inuyasha, Naruto, Pokemon, Phantom of the Opera (yes, it was THAT punjab lasso. Also, I saw the review by Nostalgia Critic and it was gold.), Final Fantasy 7, Meret Oppenheim, Dragonball or Dragonball abridged, and almost everything else in this chapter.**

 **I do not support torture involving violence or people who think we should use torture involving violence in real life. (Sorry Zant.)**

 **Next month is the next chapter:**

 **Chapter 17: Ganondorf VS Nabooru**


	17. Ganondorf vs Nabooru

**mysteriousguy898: I fixed the error on that chapter. I couldn't resist making the subtitle joke but I didn't want to do EVERYONE. (I was considering one for Darunia which would have been something like 'Ultimate party guy.')**

 **I think Ghirahim clarified that neither him or Lexi are hermaphrodites and he whole 'non gender thing' was based off something I heard about how neither he or Fi technically have a gender. Nintendo and Team Ninja are really weird about how far they can push the belief on things when it comes to gender as well as... well, you heard the complaints about Cia's design. I didn't know cuccos could be killed, but they are clearly the superior enemy of the series (sorry Ganondorf.)**

 **I guess the postman outfit was supposed to be a gag thing in this game but some just found Link wearing it to be an interesting welcome.**

 **Guest: I TAKE THAT COOKIE AND EAT IT WITH GUSTO! *OM! NOM! NOM!***

 **Wait what glitch? There's so many I've heard of on that game and they are priceless! I noticed the similarities of GDZ to DBZ and I couldn't resist the 'fusion-ha' joke thing. (From what I gather, its merging two forms together- that shows how little I understand of DBZ.) I understand if the... erm... if THAT made you uncomfortable, but I couldn't resist doing the gag. (Plus I made some ridiculous anti-yaoi jokes in this series and I have a feeling that might have made at least one reader annoyed at me for that. That was my way of trying to change things up in a more supportive way. I mean, that joke was begging to be made but Link/Shadow was NOT happy with the result.)**

 **Ah yes, RIP Gary. Lexi still misses you dearly until she can get a new TV.**

 **So... its fun to play as Ganondorf on this level and enjoy being evil but in his perspective its all 'humph- pathetic waste of time they all are.' So this chapter ended up being mercifully short and more of a story oriented thing, rather than 'WRITE THE LEVEL ALL OUT!' sort of thing. However, it is a hint that this section of the story is going to be a bit different in tone than the other parts of the story and its about to take some big turns.**

 **Thankfully there were some important additions to this story to help this chapter, as you can tell by the title.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17**

 **Ganondorf vs Nabooru**

He remembered it as if it had happened yesterday...

 _He had been defeated yet again by the blonde haired haired girl who was currently accompanied by a time sorcerer who had aided her in the confrontation against him. He had bound Ganondorf with various spells while the hero had her sword pointed at him and was ready to strike if necessary._

 _The periwinkle haired sorcerer then opened his book and a string of incantations escaped from his mouth. Nothing happened to Ganondorf at first, but then he felt as if he was bearing torn apart in different directions. It was as if he was being thrown into the fire and trapped in a bitter winter at the exact same time._

 _He screamed and tried to cast a spell to attack the sorcerer but it didn't work. However, the spell merged with the spell that the sorcerer was trying to cast and something happened that he didn't expect- a wave of new memories overwhelmed his mind._

 _Memories of events he never personally experienced and yet he felt as if he had. Memories of being a God... of manipulating a Twili princess to be able to return to Hyrule... of a memory of being a Gerudo King before, yet it wavered and also showed him a parallel era where he had succeeded, only for a very familiar looking blonde haired child to take it away from him._

 _As the memories surged and clashed in his mind, he stared up into the face of the girl before him. The girl who bore the hateful sword which radiated with an untouchable divine light._

 _Every time in every lifetime, it was always her that defeated him in the end. If his hatred for her wasn't strong enough already, it was now consuming him and coursing through his veins until it felt as if he would burst at any moment._

" _NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU DEFEAT ME, I WILL COME BACK! I ALWAYS WILL!" He screamed. "YOU CAN'T KEEP THE TRIFORCE FROM ME FOREVER! ONE DAY I WILL CLAIM IT AND BREAK YOU UNTIL ALL THE BONES IN YOUR BODY TURN TO DUST!"_

 _Then his soul was ripped into five pieces._

 _He was in incredible agony at the time, but he learned that three fractions were sealed away in different eras while the Master Sword acted as a jailer to another fraction. The final one was contained by the sorcerer and was never meant to see the light of day. Even if that sorcerer and his descendants tried to keep it locked away, it took the bitter, weakened will of one jealous descendant to summon him back._

And now he was no longer a mere shade of himself, nor just a bodiless spirit. Now he was alive and powerful but he was not yet at his true level of strength nor at the level he knew he was capable of. And what better place to prepare than in the lands of his birthright? Here was a land where he felt more in his element, which was fitting given that he was once the ruler of this vast desert.

At some point the Gerudo had returned to Hyrule and were currently residing in a far off fortress and village. While the strong resilience of the Gerudo tribe would have once pleased Ganondorf he was also aware that they might not side with him. On the other hand, the land was filled with monsters who retreated to these parts after Ceiya's demise. Reclaiming these lands for himself as a stronghold against his enemies would not be a problem, and would also be a way to gain followers; he knew that the best way was to demonstrate great power over them.

"Follow my command or else you will perish." Ganondorf commanded to the two females who would be of use to him. "Do so and I will keep my word to both of you. Her Highness will be granted your kingdom, as well as revenge upon the reincarnation of the girl who bested you. I also believe an old debt requires payment to the former servant of Hylia. In that event, you may do as you please to his lineage, along with the reincarnation of Hylia himself. Break them however you wish but know that their lives are ultimately mine to take when the time comes."

"So Hylia gave into the weakness of love." Fi quietly spoke. So after all his planning and failures, he allowed himself to have something that he yet again denied her? Happiness as well as a reason to feel such an emotion?

A small part of Midna that still had a concisence told her not to go through this again, after what it had cost her. The thought of seeing who the successor to the girl who defeated her, as well as the chance to get back her kingdom, squashed that part of her away.

"Allow yourself to prepare for that day upon this pathetic lot." Ganondorf spoke. "I suspect you would like to be in top form when the moment will undoubtedly be at hand." Ganondorf summoned out his swords and entered the desert; he paid no mind to the two women, though he could hear them following him. He knew that he had their loyalty, even if it was through the offering what they desired most. And unlike Ceiya, they had little reason to turn against him.

It did not take long for the monsters to notice them and they began to hurry towards him. He smirked in amusement; Did they honestly think they stood a chance? Pathetic. When he swung his blades into them, it was like swatting a bunch of common flies. Where was the challenge in all of this?

"Perhaps we should start by taking the keeps?" Midna asked as she took out her mirror. "It would give us an advantage."

Satisfied that the Twili was going to cooperate, Ganondorf allowed this strategy. "That would be a wise decision."

"Then I shall take the north." Fi informed him as she headed towards that destination.

The monsters that trailed after her met a swift end with her abilities with a sword, as well as her other magical powers.

For her, she was free to do as she pleased. There was nothing to hold her back in a future born from what would have ended up becoming a purpose that would have been wasteful in the end. There was no sleep to worry about and there was no God to control her- she did not know if attacking these creatures would make her a glutton for more violence or horror for taking their lives. There is nothing that she can feel about any of this- all she knows is that she is free.

She was practically dancing her way into her enemies. Such grace could only be so brilliant paired with the rain of blood that spilled out of those unfortunate enough to be in her way. Such a sight would be aesthetically pleasing to one who craved the glory of war.

For Midna there was conflict inside her and killing was the only way to get over it. She summoned everything imaginable from stone hands to shadow wolves and she thought over how she and Ganondorf had met and what he had offered to her.

Should she be angry at him for her losses? Happy to be able to get some sort of second chance? There was no longer any way for her to go back to her era- if they all saw her as the monster that she turned into, then what was the point? Unless time could be erased and changed to the way it was supposed to be.

But the more she began to attack, the more aggressive she became and everything became a blur. She stopped caring and allowed herself to be consumed by the satisfaction of crushing the monsters to their death. The more she did it, the more she could picture hurting the one who apparently housed the soul of the hero who bested her.

When she attacked the enemies in the keep, she noticed that some monsters were being caged up by other monsters in some sort of prison built into the earth.

"Perhaps they could be of use to us." She thought out loud, before sending out the message with a spell she had used during her time as the princess. "There are monsters kept as prisoners- perhaps they can be persuaded to join us." She spoke into the orb of magic in her hand before it was destroyed.

 **-Gerudo Fortress-**

"Alright kid, last two questions before you're free to go." Nabooru looked at the notes. "Who was the first Gerudo elder to establish the new homelands?"

"Reyah, or "The Falcon.'" She worked out a truce with King Link Lykaon Hyrule and the careful planning and positive support helped put us back on Hyrule's map."

"And why is King Ivan an important figure in Hyrule's history?"

"King Ivan helped to establish more schools in Hyrule and wrote books on his travels outside of Hyrule, in hopes of broadening our knowledge." The small Gerudo boy scratched his head as he tried to think of anything else to add to that. "He... he was the son of King Link Khronos Hyrule and Queen Zelda, also known as the Hero of Time... and that's all I can remember."

"That's ok, kid." Nabrooru smiled as she set the paper down and walked to the young boy. She playfully ruffled his red hair on top of his head. "But you did a pretty good job on your history! You're going to be a smart king when the time comes."

The boy grinned just as a guard came rushing through the door. "Lady Nabooru, the prisoners are escaping!" She frantically informed her through her furious panting.

Nabrooru looked up in and without a second thought, she ran out and headed towards the observatory in the fortress, while the other Gerudo after her. The others were aware that many monsters had escaped into the desert and were prepared for an attack. One word would be all that was required to fight back- it was not going to be easy for any of them.

Nabooru didn't stop running until she found a group at the observatory readying their bows. She quickly went to a collection of telescopes and snatched one up, before hurrying to the edge and taking a look through the contraption. She could see what appeared to be hundreds of monsters roaming free and attacking each other.

"The weird thing is that the monsters that are being freed are fighting against the others." One of the lookouts informed Nabooru.

Something caught Nabooru's attention that seemed out of place- the figure wasn't fighting like all the others, so she zoomed in on who it was.

The fighting style was similar to that of a Gerudo, but the man was large to the point of using brute strength instead of the characteristic nimbleness of the proud Gerudo. He also had a large mane of fiery red hair that appeared to be characteristic of a Gerudo.

Nabrooru felt a strong sensation of fear unlike any she had known build up inside her as she continued to watch and waited for the man to turn around. The moment he did, she somehow knew who it was, because her gut instinct was screaming louder than anything in the dead of the night.

And for some reason, it felt as if she had known that face her whole life.

"Nabooru, what shall we do?" One of the guards asked, just as the telescope fell out of Nabooru's fingers when she moved it away from her face and it clattered to the floor. "Naboo-"

"Evacuate everyone from the village and the fortress." Nabrooru commanded with an an unusual calm in her voice. "This is one fight we are not going to win."

"But Naboo-"

"I SAID EVACUATE!" She furiously yelled. "Get everyone out of here, NOW!"

 **-Gerudo Desert-**

More and more kept coming, but Ganondorf easily swiped them away with his blades and his magic. This might as well been less of a third man army against hordes of beasts and more of a warm up for what was to come.

He freed a set of trapped monsters who were confused as well as cowering in fear. "Wh.. what will you do with us?" A darknut nervously asked.

"Your life is mine to do with as I please." He told it. "Serve me and the blood of Hyrule's citizens can be at your feet." He turned around and didn't bother to confirm if they would listen to him or not. They knew who was the more dominant figure on this battlefield and they most likely wanted to see their foes dead at their feet. It was a generosity that he was willing to offer, but he was not willing to share when it came to two individuals.

That damn boy and his predecessors- how dare that line last and rule over a fruitful kingdom, while is own had been tarnished or pushed to extinction constantly as it watched over these barren wastes? First a God who turned himself into a weak imitation of the real thing (a more hazy part of his memories told him this), then a little brat, then that weak hearted youth, and then all the way to a fool not fit for his throne who also tried to hide in a cloak of darkness (a part of his memories said that this had happened once before, in a parallel era.)

And then there was _her_ ; the one of the two that he wanted to destroy more than anything- her demise was a desire that almost rivaled the need to have the Triforce.

That girl had somehow obtained powers fitting of a deity the last time he saw her, and yet he sensed that she lost it. Pathetic- she could have had a better chance at defeating him now, but it was too late for her.

He couldn't wait to face her and the boy again. This time he knew their patterns and weaknesses as well as how they bested him- he was going to make sure that they would be broken, bruised, and devoid of their honor as well as their thirds of the Triforces at his feet.

"Retreat to the old sacred grounds!" A lizafos hissed. "Call reinforcements!"

Oh, so the old spirit temple that the Hylians turned into a prison was still here?

He transported himself to the topmost part of the grounds, where hordes of monsters were waiting for their turn. In fact, it was the very same location where he had once been sent to the Twilight Realm.

It was a place that gave him another boost of rage when it brought back that memory. He could remember the blinding fury, followed by the triumph of discovering that he had somehow acquired the Triforce of Power, before his body had been changed into something that could barely thrive in that world. It was his prison for what should have been an eternity, until the fateful day the brats were foolish enough to reunite and momentarily combine their Triforces together.

By the time he snapped out of his thoughts, he realized that there was already a pile of dead bodies covering the ground by his own hand. The fresh coating of blood upon his swords confirmed this. The monsters that were lucky enough to survive were already retreating.

Then he sensed it- larger monsters were coming into the desert.

This is what he was seeking- to overpower the larger beasts would ensure a higher number of followers. He transported himself back to the desert, he found a dodongo lumbering its way across the sands while being ignorant of the monsters that tried to attack him.

Ganondorf hurried towards the beast- perhaps his magic could use a bit of refining. When the dodongo rolled towards him, he charged up the pure, raw magic that was coursing through him- the sensation gradually becoming pleasant by the moment- and when the dodongo came closing in, he slammed it into the beast who unraveled and fell over upon impact.

Taking his blades out, he unleashed a fury of swipes into the monster's stomach- yes, it would have been hard to cut open for a normal being, but he was not normal. Each swipe was overwhelmingly enjoyable and when he unleashed a final burst of energy at the beast, the sight of its fatal injuries, combined with its death cry was satisfying to behold.

He couldn't get enough of it- having all this power to take down these huge monsters, while still retaining enough to keep going throughout the rest of a battle- this was true invincibility.

Next was the manhandala that thought it was brave enough to face him. So it could solidify itself with a metallic coating forever? Ridiculous. The moment it removed its coating to attack him, he merely stunned it with a spell and chopped off all four heads before slamming both swords into its red core and he sent out a geyser of fluids out when he pulled them out.

 _Yes... keep coming you worms. Your only purpose is to prove how utterly futile it is to defeat me._

 **-Gerudo Fortress-**

"Listen to me Elija!" Nabrooru commanded to the little Gerudo boy as she helped him get on the Helmaroc King's back. "You are going directly to Hyrule Castle and you will tell them that Ganondorf is taking over the desert. We are too outnumbered and not powerful enough to fight back!"

"We can beat them though!" Elija protested. "We can't run like-"

"We would have to face an army of monsters before we could face him! Even without them, we would be no match against him!"

"You can't think like that! We are powerful warriors! We can-"

"Power is nothing without wisdom or courage, you fool!" Nabooru angrily retorted back. "That was Ganondorf's downfall! You have to keep this in mind if you don't want to end up like him!"

The boy's anger vanished when he realized what Nabooru meant. The woman knew she had gone too far, but she was running out of time and could not waste it on apologizing. "Go to Hyrule Castle and do not stop- not for anything!" She commanded to the Helmaroc King.

"No, wait!" The boy protested, but the bird began to take to the sky and he was forced to hold on. "Come with me!"

Nabooru only gave the boy a wave of goodbye and a melancholic smile before she turned around to leave and headed down the tower.

"Aunt Nabooru!" Elija yelled, but the Helmaroc King already flew out the moment it went into the air and headed towards its destination.

"And now for one last thing." Nabooru muttered under her breath as she tightened her fists. She knew all too well what she was doing and what she was about to do, but it was doing to take every ounce of courage to do so. The words of that creepy salesman had haunted her for a long time, and though he had warned her about this, she could care less for her own fate.

It was time for her to face the Boar.

 **-Gerudo Desert-**

A gohma soon came crawling its way towards Ganondorf and it was already foolishly swinging its claws out and knocking back any monster who got in its way.

When it tried to attack Ganondorf, he blocked its swipes with his swords and waited for it to leave itself open. It prepared itself to unleash a blue line of energy out, which Ganondorf was quick to block while taking a swipe at more beasts. The moment the Gohma's eye turned blue and looked disoriented, Ganondorf rushed in and plunged one sword deep into its eye, before ripping it out and slicing the other one into it with a burst of dark magic. This ensured that the now blinded beast was knocked over and would not try to frantically attack him.

The power was building up inside him, but even this was not a welcome challenge. Just more common animals that could only bare their fangs when provoked. With what seemed like little effort, he slammed his swords down upon the beast and severed it in two halves. Its innards spewed out and onto his swords, which his quickly pulled back.

"By the Gods," Midna was impressed by what she saw; she never saw Ganondorf display those abilities before. "He's definitely going to get the Triforce at this rate." She glanced back to see the monsters who were now realizing how hopeless their case was and remained stationary and unsure of what to do- to either run or fight.

"Of course." Fi confirmed. "His power is equal to the Demon King Demise by one hundred percent. Currently, his chances of acquiring the artifact is around thirty five percent. To acquire one fraction would raise that percentage considerably."

Ganondorf slammed his swords into the ground and surveyed their work. Good- the monsters were no longer fighting. They knew who was the true master of the battle.

"Join if you desire or else perish!" He yelled out to them and pointed towards the greater parts Hyrule, where the castle lay. "Those lands will soon be free to roam, so long as you help me defeat the Hyrulean army and destroy the Royal Family! Unless there is someone who dares try to stand up and challenge me!" He waved his hand out.

"GANONDORF!" A female voice yelled out behind him.

Ganondorf turned to see a lone figure walking towards him; it was a Gerudo woman, judging by her appearance.

"Permission to stop her?" Fi asked as she readied her sword, but Ganondorf held a blade out to stop her from doing so as he approached the Gerudo woman. As he got close enough he could begin to make out her distinctive features and something in the back of his mind was screaming out a familiarity about her. When she became close enough, he then knew why:

 _A young girl managed to defeat all five of her fellow partners in training, each one boasting a different weapon of choice. Panting, she looked up and almost jumped when she saw Ganondorf, before standing upright and struggling to hold her salute to him. She was already exhausted to the point of falling over and she still had a way to go before she could be equal to her superiors. Still, it was a promising development for her future._

 _Pleased with her abilities, but not one to give out praises so easily, he nodded his approval, which made the young girl beam in delight before she collapsed to the ground in exhaustion._

 _Many years later, she is a beautiful young woman who has her sword pointed against his neck as the best knights in the Hyrulean Army have him chained up and enchantments are placed upon him to prevent him from using his magic._

 _ **Many years later when she is in the prime of her beauty, he finds her transported into his chambers and she is apparently free of Koume and Kotake's mind control spell. As he makes his way towards her, she lets out a cry of defiance and rips out a dagger which she plunges deep into her chest.**_

" _YOU TRAITOROUS GIRL!" The beastly snarl escapes from his mouth. "YOU DARE TURN AGAINST YOUR KING?!"_

" _ **Why are you doing something so meaningless to yourself?" He asks in great annoyance, mixed with disappointment. After all, she was his favorite out of the others. "There is no honor in this wasteful action."**_

" _You made us into the monsters that Hyrule makes us out to be." Her voice was weary, yet the anger was very evident. "And now we must atone for all that we've done. We have lost our honor because of your actions."_

" _ **You will never have me Ganondorf." She laughs as blood escapes from her wound- dagger still plunged in her body. "I hope that Hero of Time kid makes you see that you aren't so invincible as you think!" She coughs violently and rips the blade from her wound. "No one... no one can have my spirit!"**_

Of course she would have been reborn at some point; she was once the Sage of Spirit after all.

Nabrooru was both in awe and intimidated by Ganondorf as she approached him. On one hand, he was a large bodied figure who looked like he could boast incredible strength, as witnessed upon the battlefield. On another, he was physically attractive despite his apparent age and this, including his warrior status, was among ideal traits in the men that Gerudo sought for. However, Nabrooru was well aware that what she was seeing was just a ruse- there was a monster hiding inside this man, in both the literal and figurative sense.

She was terrified out of her mind and every part of her wanted to run away. She knew that what she was doing would cost her dearly, but her stubborn nature wouldn't allow her to turn back.

Ganondorf smiled in amusement. "Nabrooru." He greeted with a nod.

Nabrooru halted when he spoke her name. "How did you-?" She asked.

"I knew you in a past life as an old favorite of mine, as well as a defier to your kin. It appears that fate chose you to live once more."

"If you think that you can bring my people to your side, then I'm afraid you'll find that they are long gone and away from your evil influence." Nabrooru spat as she pointed a blade at Ganondorf. "I'm not letting you reach them and bring about their downfall yet again."

Ganondorf merely chuckled. "So, you think that you can try to fight me on your own, girl? Do you think that you can try to kill me?"

Nabooru held out her scimitars and took on the traditional stance with a determined look in her eyes.

"Very well then," Ganondorf readied his swords. "I'll find this to be quite amusing."

With a cry, Nabooru charged ahead and readied her weapons.

Ganondorf didn't attempt to attack and waited to see what she could do. After she ran around him instead of directly attacking, he chose to swing at her, which she was quick to duck and try to attack his legs. Instead, her blade met with his own and she was forced to leap back.

He smirked- finally something more worthy to face. The fact that it was indeed the Sage of Spirit herself made it even better.

Nabooru snarled as she ran towards him and he made to swipe at her vertically, but she leapt up and was able to land on the sword, before leaping up and made to cut his head off by crossing her blades together, but he saw what she was about to do and brought his sword up so that it could take a blow.

"You forget," He told her as she fell back down. "I too was trained in a same fighting style like others before you."

 _How long can I keep this up?_ Nabrooru frantically wondered. _I need just a little more time to keep him distracted_.

"Show me woman that none of you have gone soft since my time as your king." Ganondorf demanded as he readied his blade again.

"RUGH!" Nabooru snarled as she darted in, but this time when she tried to run around him, she made to cut him in the back when Ganondorf tried to attack her. Unfortunately she was met yet again with another blow to her weapons and somehow, when things happened too fast, Ganondorf was forcing forcing his swords against her own and it was all she could do to use her strength against them, before she was overpowered and he rammed into her. She was sent flying back, and she quickly stuck her scimitars in the sands, before she could fall face first into it. She kicked herself back up and spun around to face him again.

 _I can try to kill him, can I? Can I even land one blow on him?!_ Nabrooru grunted before she took a spinning leap at Ganondorf, who was able to knock her swords out of her hands. Before he could take another swing at her, she quickly darted towards the nearest scimitar as Ganondrof began to walk towards her. He readied some kind of dark spell that covered his arm and extended out to form some sort of large claw, which he used to take a swipe at her, but she was able to evade it and grab her other scimitar and dodge the attack before rushing in for another exchange of blows.

Over and over the blades clashed together. Despite how nimble the scimitars were, the larger swords were more powerful and each clash made the wielder of the scimitars weaker by the second. In fact, she was already sweating and she could feel her perfect stamina wearing out on her. Normally she could have lasted a lot longer, but this was something entirely different and it scared her.

And the more frantic she became in her attacks, the more it added to her loss of energy.

Finally, when the scimitars tried to push against a single large sword, the latter weapon was able to overpower the blades and knocked them up and out of Nabooru's hands.

Without any given warning, Ganondorf ran his other blade right through Nabooru's torso and chest and effortlessly lifted her into the air.

Nabrooru let out an agonized cry as the pain flooded her senses while at the same she felt as if parts of her body were numb as if they were nonexistent (especially from the waist down.) In an act of desperation, she held onto the blade to keep herself from slipping off or worse while at the same time, her blood was already beginning to spill onto the sands below her.

"You are a foolish girl, to think that you could take me on with a similar set of skills." Ganondorf told her. "But if you value your life, I could always use more commanders."

Nabrooru panted as she struggled to gain focus. As she held onto the blade, she could see that she could almost stare down at Ganondorf from the way he positioned his blade. It gave her some boost of courage as she spat out "I would rather die than serve you, you monster!"

Ganondorf stared up into the defiant girl's eyes, before lowering her down to the ground, forcing her to be pinned against the sands.

Nabrooru was not an idiot- she knew that she wouldn't be able to last against Ganondorf, but if it brought her people enough time to warn the rest of Hyrule, then so be it. Her sacrifice would _not_ be in vain.

"Then it appears that you will have to die another pointless death yet again, Nabooru." Ganondorf reflected as he looked down on her. "Either that or a life that only amounted to nothing."

Despite his words, her eyes glared in defiance at him. "You will never be a true Gerudo, Ganondorf." Nabrooru's eyes gazed away from her murderer and she stared into the blue sky that she had known since childhood. "You brought us to ruin once before because of your need for power, and I refuse to let it happen again." She let out a cough and blood splattered out around her mouth. "The wind of death that blows for us all will get you in the end." She let out a weak laugh. "Even- even if you keep coming back!"

Ganondorf looked on at the defiant Gerudo- the one who always dared to defy her king to the very end. Slowly he pulled the blade out of her body, and her blood freely, yet quickly spilled out and stained the sands with red.

Nabooru let out another laugh as she felt herself dying away, but she didn't care anymore and allowed herself to let go. "I always thought I'd die in battle. I never thought my last foe would be you of all people, but... but in the end I won. Y-you'll... see." She forced out one last laugh before it slowly faded away and and she eventually ceased moving. She took one final look at the sky, before she faded from the world altogether in a moment of being a proud member of the Gerudo.

Ganondorf felt little regret at what he had done- the woman made it clear that she was a traitor to her own blood and her king and she was a fool to the end of her life once more.

"There is a twenty five percent chance that she was merely distracting you." Ganondorf turned around to face Midna and Fi, who had done some thinking over this fight. "I do not sense any Gerudo for several miles. In fact they were retreating from this area, if my deductions were correct."

"She distracted me so that the others would have enough time to warn Hyrule." Ganondorf then understood why this woman would have bothered to fight him. Given her past life, it would have been fitting that she would try to trick him. "Clever, but useless." He stared back down at the corpse. "Especially now that it is time to claim my rightful portion of the Triforce from the sorcerer."

"Perhaps if I feel generous enough, I'll give you burial rights for the effort you put up." Ganondorf told the now dead woman. "But what a shame that you had to foolishly give your life up for the wrong side again."

He glanced up to the sky. "For now, it is time to meet Ceiya's weaker half. I am sure that he will be ready for me when I arrive."

* * *

 **Umm... I don't know what things I can say after that ending. I knew what Nabrooru's fate would be ever since I considered putting her in this fan fic and unfortunately she is going to stay dead for the rest of this story. Right now I'm listening to the epilogue music from Shadow of the Colossus and that seems fitting for her death (that or a slow, melancholic version of the Gerudo Valley music.)**

 **Since I had recently finished Time's Trade and most of you have already read it by now, I can confirm that Zelda DID name her son after her companion. I thought it would be a nice way for her to have honored him like that. I can imagine it would have been same for Link in the canon version to name a potential daughter after his fairy companion.**


	18. He who uses Power

**mysterousguy898: We had a few rounds of PMs, so hopefully I can answer the ones I missed. I can't see Ganondorf as one who would rely on a range of weapons like Link/Zelda- he's a man of tactics and brute strength!**

 **I like your enthusiasm for the fight between Ganondorf and Nabooru. It was a fight that was very much needed, but only one was going to come out alive.**

 **Speaking of Twili anatomy, I think most of those Twili outside the palace were naked and I didn't see... uh... Nintendo what is it with you relying on Barbie doll anatomy and not giving those Twili proper designs involving clothing?** _ **I**_ **could have done a better job and I'm not a video game designer!**

 **Phoenix Champion: Hyrule Warriors Legends is not going to be covered in this fic. I was even going to make a joke about that in the hiatus chapter, but it left my mind. (Maybe I'll use ONE important thing from it, but that's it. Sorry.)**

 **Random Swap Fan: I saw you reviewing chapter 3, so I don't know if you'll see this in time or not. First: You are welcome! :D Second: Those guys were awesome! I had to include them since the game uses a lot of elements from various Zelda games. Third: Proxo? Huh... I wish I considered that earlier, but its a cool name! And yay for liking Proxy!**

 **And in response to your recent review: Darnit! How could I have misspelled Nabooru's name? I love Shadow in this fic more than in Time's Trade and while I can't spoil too much of this fic, I will say that Shadow isn't gone forever just yet. I do have something planned with Midna and Fi for the next few chapters and I think you might be happy with them.**

 **HeroAlexa249: What/Who IS HMS? The world will never know. He knows more than he lets on... what if he and the Skull Kid from Twilight Twists were one and the same?! Both have the gift of prophecy!**

 **Actually, that would explain so much.**

* * *

 **This chapter was not easy for a number of reasons- one being that I've only played this level twice and... well, you'll have to read on.**

 **On a side note, I did a lot of binge watching and I am now a huge fan of Gravity Falls. I love the small Legend of Zelda references and there was one in my favorite episode that made me laugh. (It was the one that made fun of Dungeons and Dragons, but it was a spoiler heavy episode so I don't think I'd recommend looking at it right away.)**

* * *

 **Chapter 18: He who uses Power**

Liam knew that something was wrong the moment he discovered an error in the timelines. There was a very noticeable black mark in the era of the Sky that confused him at first, but then it got him thinking and he quickly made a search for those who he knew had been ripped out of the timelines that he didn't see return to where they were supposed to go.

He found who he was looking for alright- including someone he forgot about after all that happened with Ceiya.

After a string of strong curses and some quick thinking, Liam quickly readied a few message spells to send out to those who could help him. "I'm sending this message to both Captain Orik and General Impa!" He frantically spoke into the orbs of magic. "Ganondorf is currently attacking Gerudo Desert and is raising an army! He is most likely going to come get the Triforce of Power and I doubt there's enough time to ready everyone for battle at the Valley of Seers! I am begging you to hurry as fast as you can!"

With a snap of his fingers, the message was sent. "Please hurry." He pleaded as he rubbed his hands together with the mark of the Triforce visible upon the back of his right hand.

All the while he kept an eye on the battle at the Gerudo Desert and frantically waited. It would have been more suitable to bring Zelda and Link, but both would be among Ganondorf's first targets and there was no way that they could be able to deal with him and several monsters, including Midna and Fi. Even without the Triforce of Power Ganondorf could be _that_ powerful- the fight against the larger monsters and Nabooru's demise proved this to be correct.

He prayed that he was making the correct choices- he had to get Fi and Midna out of the current era so that they could focus on Ganondorf. In the worst case scenario he would have to give the Triforce of Power to either Link or Zelda.

Around the time Ganondorf was halfway to the Valley, Liam began to get more frantic. Was anyone going to help him, or would they deny it?

"Long time no see, Liam!"

He turned around to see Orik and Geode waiting at the entrance to the temple. Both Gorons looked nervous, but ready to fight. "So what is this about Ganondorf coming your way?" Orik demanded as he smacked a fist into his hand.

 **-Ganondorf-**

So that boy thought he could assemble an army of Gorons to keep him from obtaining the Triforce? Unfortunately the boy was already horribly imbalanced with his choice of defenders while Ganondorf had more of a variety in his army.

"So that blue haired kid has the Triforce of Power?" Midna asked as she recalled the boy from her era. "Heh," She laughed. "This ought to be fun."

"He is mine to defeat." Ganondorf warned. "He possesses the key to ensuring this war turns in our favor." He could practically feel the Triforce of Power calling out for its true master. He was craving it more than the air itself but he knew that he had to be patient. He already knew the layout of this valley, as well as the temple itself.

"I have faced these Gorons before." Fi spoke up. "They may be fast and strong when they want to, but they are not resistant against powerful spells."

"Then you both may kill as many as you desire." Ganondorf took his swords out and headed down the valley. "There is nothing in this era to stop you."

The monsters did not need to be told twice as they all eagerly rushed in to fight to their hearts content. Fi and Midna followed suit, but unknown to them a plan had been formed by Liam for the both of them before their arrival.

The sorcerer waited with baited breath- if all went well then both women would be trapped in the sanctums and he could send them back to their respective eras. "Everyone draw your targets to the keeps!" He yelled out.

This was a big mistake since Ganondorf had heard this yell from where he fought. _What is that boy up to?_ He wondered as he fought off a number of Gorons.

"REMEMBER US?!" Captain Orik yelled at Fi and caught her attention.

"So I am to face those Gorons that the hero lead into battle in my era?" Fi asked as she readied her sword. "Perhaps their death will strike a nerve in her heart." She ran after the captain, who hurried towards the western sanctum. As soon as she went inside a Triforce symbol in the sanctum lit up and the doors slammed shut.

"HA!" Orik laughed as Fi turned around to see what had happened. "Now its just you and me!" he readied his fists.

"Correction." Fi replied as she held her sword up. "You are trapped with me and the probability of surviving is within low percentages."

"I don't need mathmatics to tell me that I could die!" Orik snapped as he charged forward with his fists ready and several bombs strapped on a belt that he wore were waiting to be used.

Delighted at the turn of events, Liam hurried towards where Fi was captured. At the same time, Midna also found herself trapped in the eastern sanctum with another brave (or foolish) Goron.

"We aren't going to let you win!" Geode nervously gripped his fire rod as he came face to face with the Twilight Princess.

"Your race's idiocy never ceases to amaze me." Midna sighed as she snapped a finger and a stone hand came out of the mirror. It was sent flying towards Geode, who quickly dodged and sent a jet of flame out towards her. "You were all stubborn in my era and its lasted all the way into yours."

"At least we share Darunia's determination!" Geode yelled back.

"Let's push back against the enemy together!" Liam joyously yelled as he hurried to assist Orik. However, he came to a skidding halt when he saw that Ganondorf was just moments away from appearing within the sanctum. Panic flooded his mind and Liam found himself running away thanks to a strong desire to keep the Triforce of Power away from Ganondorf.

Orik panted as he sent another bomb at Fi, who dodged the explosion and spun around with her blades out. Orik raised his fists up to block he attack, but Fi was not only able to knock them aside, but she also sent a deep cut across his stomach. He let out a yell and knelt over as he struggled to keep a hold against the wound with one arm and use his other arm to fight, but Fi kicked him in the face and knocked him back. With him out of the way, she turned to the seal that held her in the sanctum and attacked it with her swords. The barrier shattered into pieces before she hurried out of the sanctum and allowed the monsters to flood into it.

"This will be corrected." Fi told Ganondorf as they crossed paths.

"Do you expect me to care about some foolish game that boy wants to play with us?!" He demanded.

"The support troops will be here soon!" Liam tried to encourage his men as he sent a few spells out at his enemies. "Everyone hold on until then!"

Meanwhile the fight between Midna and Geode had gotten to a point where the seal had been destroyed by a stray attack and the monsters were free to flood into the sanctum. This forced Geode to try to use the fire rod against them, but in doing so it left him vulnerable to a stone hand that reached out and grabbed him when he was able to spew out fire from his weapon for a few seconds. The hand tightened and he cried out in pain before it flung him high up into the air.

"Hah, what do you know- Gorons can fly!" Midna laughed at her handiwork as a few monsters joined in the merriment.

Geode was not so fortunate as he landed into the ground and made a prefect crater while barely keeping his consciousness intact. The Goron struggled to do so much as regain focus and get himself back up again as the fighting increased around him.

"Oh sweet Nayru," Liam was becoming afraid. "Impa please hurry." He pleaded as he continued to try to protect himself. The monsters were aware of his importance and it seemed that more came with each passing moment. The Triforce of Power gave him a much needed amplification to his magic, but there was no telling how long it would last.

"You have no where else to run!" Ganondorf yelled out in a voice that seemed to echo across the battlefield and through the noises to Liam's ears. "Give up the Triforce of Power, boy!"

 **-Hyrule Castle-**

It was a normal, though very cloudy day at Hyrule Castle, but this was about to change when a large bird came heading towards it.

"Whoa!" Aryll shielded her eyes as the Helmaroc King came flying down into the front courtyard. "What's the Helmaroc King doing here?" She wondered out loud as the courtyard guards readied their weapons in case of a possible attack.

"Princess Aryll!" A familiar young Gerudo leapt off the bird as soon as it touched the ground. Elija stumbled a little when he fell, but quickly regained his footing and hurried to the princess. "I need to send a message! Ganondorf has invaded the Gerudo Valley and is creating an army!" His words came out in a rush, but the message was as clear as day to the young princess who only needed to hear the word 'Ganondorf' to know what was wrong.

The girl's confusion and awe vanished into pure shock, but the rational part of her mind made her grab onto Elija's wrist and pull him towards the castle. "Let's tell my uncle! He and my brother were expecting this would happen!"

Aryll felt herself panicking as she felt that the calm that had just returned was ending. She was already seeing everything ending in an instant moment- her kingdom's safety and her brother's well being, if not his very life, for Ganondorf was going to go after him and most likely kill him while he was at it.

She prayed that there was still a chance that Ganondorf could be stopped before he could reach the castle.

 **-The Valley of Seers-**

"THE HYLIANS!" A monster screeched. "THE HYLIANS HAVE COME!"

Ganondorf turned around with a scowl to see a handful of Hylian knights arriving into battle and lead by General Impa.

"Stop the commanders!" Impa yelled to Koji and her men. "Do not let them help Ganondorf!"

"I shall do as you command, Lady Impa!" Koji yelled as he charged towards the battle along with his division of men.

"So you think this petty division can help you in any way?!" Ganondorf asked as they came towards him. "This isn't even half of your entire army!" He yelled as he charged ahead.

Without warning, Impa suddenly vanished from her division as her men charged into battle. "Its time we gave these vile shadows a taste of the secrets passed down to the Sheikah!" Her voice rang out.

Ganondorf had no idea what she meant at the time and when he finally found her on the battlefield, he was only concerned with killing her off for good. This dog of the Royal Family had proven to be a great hinderance throughout his lives and he was determined to end her life before she could be of any more trouble. Strangely enough, she could barely put up a fight against him and her strength was weaker than he expected. It soon became clear the moment he was able to slice through her and her body flickered and vanished into dark smoke.

"Ha! That was only my double!" Impa laughed from who knew where. "Are you amused?!"

Ganondorf let out an angry growl- he was NOT going to be bested by that damned Sheikah woman! However, he was able to quickly calm himself down as he let out an amused chuckle to disguise what was boiling underneath the surface. "A double, General? Heh. You act as if I've never used such a tactic before!" He charged ahead, determined to find the real Sheikah.

"Perhaps if you defeat the real one, the doubles will vanish!" Midna yelled as they crossed paths. "Or perhaps if we get to the sorcerer, she'll lose focus and reveal herself!"

"That is not a bad idea." Ganondorf agreed to it. He changed course and sought after the sorcerer and at the same time, Midna hurried across the battlefield, determined to seek Liam out, when a voice yelled out to her.

"MIDNA!" She turned around to come face to face with a familiar Sheikah, who held his naginata out with a determined look in his eyes. "I'm going to send you back to your true era, where your people will judge you for your crimes!"

Midna snickered. "So you were among those who went to my era." She readied her mirror and a pack of wolves were summoned out.

"I am not going to let their search for you be in vain!" Koji angrily cried out. "On my honor as a Sheikah, I will ensure that the Twilight Realm and the Twili Royal Family will see justice!"

This made Midna snap inside. So this brat thought himself an ally of Zant?! "KILL HIM!" Midna yelled as she sent the wolves after Koji. The young man used his weapon to smack them away and spun it around himself to ready a burst of flame to send out towards the Twili, who charged ahead to send a bridge at him. The young man was able to also charge ahead and cut through the bridge and leapt into the sky before pointing his weapon at Midna as if to spear her down.

Across the battlefield the fighting continued to escalate. Eventually Ganondorf was able to encounter Liam, who was still trying to fight off his own batch of monsters. The boy was close to exhaustion and turned around to prepare himself for another round but when he saw Ganondorf he froze to the spot.

Liam would be severely punished for lying if he said that he wasn't afraid of Ganondorf. In fact the mere sight of seeing Ganondorf coming after him and knowing that he would kill him or worse, just to get back the Triforce of Power, made him feel like a scared little boy who was still afraid of what lay within the shadows in the dead of the night.

"Give back the Triforce of Power, boy." Ganondorf demanded as he held his blades out to his side. "You have no idea how to properly use it- such a display is pathetic!"

"The Triforce of Power deserves better than to be used by a madman such as yourself!" Liam found his courage again and opened his book up. "You have no idea what it means to have power and you abuse it to the point of poisoning yourself!"

Ganondorf (who did not care for Liam's words) let out a "HA!" and charged forward to attack.

Liam quickly sent a magical wall out at Ganondorf, who merely side stepped out of the way. Liam quickly summoned up another wall that spun out towards Ganondorf, but he also dodged this and raised a sword up to summon dark lightning, which he sent towards the white sorcerer, who encased himself in a cube that shuddered when the lightning hit. With a twist of the hand, he sent the walls of the cube out and hurried away as he tried to think up of another spell.

 _I can't use close range attacks!_ He thought. _Ganondorf has that advantage over me!_

"Help Liam!" Orik yelled as he continued to hold onto his stomach and grunted in pain. "I'm not going to last very long if this keeps up." He glanced upward and smacked a fist into an oncoming monster.

A handful of Gorons hurried towards Liam, who panicked. "No! Stay away from us!" He tried to wave them off. "He's going to kill you all!" He sent a burst of magic at Ganondorf, who was briefly stunned by it, but it was not enough to discourage him.

"Kill as many as you can." Fi told the monsters before she looked up to see a certain Sheikah General. A part of her mind recognized this Sheikah as one who had been very devoted to Hylia, but it didn't matter- her defeat was a bigger concern, so she raced towards the woman. One quick defeat later proved that she was a fake, but it did not discourage Fi.

"Liam!" Impa- the real one- yelled in fear when she saw that Liam was clashing with the King of Evil. Try as he might, it did not appear that the young man was having any sort of victory over Ganondorf beyond causing him some grief.

"Argh!" Liam sent out a wave of enchanted papers from his book at Ganondorf when he heard Impa call out for him. "Liam! Use the magic circle to flee!" She yelled as she leapt between him and Ganondorf and blocked an attack with her sword.

"There will be NO fleeing!" Ganondorf sent his other sword at Impa, who quickly dodged it.

Liam panted as he glanced to where he knew where it was going to be. "Right!" He nodded and dashed towards his salvation while Ganondorf struggled with Impa.

"You're not getting between me and the prince this time, dog of the Royal Family!" Ganondorf snarled as his swords clashed with Impa's sword.

"Your existence is a blight upon all of Hyrule!" Impa snarled back as she tried her best to block Ganondorf's attacks.

"Please let this work!" Liam readied a spell. "Gods forgive me, but I must split my soul in two!" He became engulfed in a burst of light and felt as if he was being torn apart before two separate duplicates ran across the battlefield. It felt extremely disorienting, but he had to press on. "Just like Ceiya." He panted as his mind shifted between two perspectives. "Just like Ceiya!"

"Hm?" Midna noticed what Liam did while she fought with Koji, who readied his naginata to attack. He charged forward and swung the weapon out at Midna while sending phantom flaming naginatas at the Twili, who quickly blocked the attack with a large version of her hand of hair. As the young man charged forward and made to strike her, she quickly grabbed him with her hair and swung him around before throwing him upon a set of nearby rocks. She ignored his cry of pain as she raced towards one of the Liam duplicates.

"These two aren't just doubles! They're both the real deal!" She cried out.

At the same time, Fi went for the other Liam and was able to stop him. "You aren't going anywhere." She glided around him and he came to a stop.

"You can't stay in this era!" Her Liam pleaded. "Your absence will cause the timeline to collapse and rewrite this universe!"

"Yet you were perfectly willing to ignore the outcomes and consequences of your goals and chose to allow it." Fi responded as she took her sword out and charged at Liam.

"DAMNIT!" Impa was growing steadily frustrated by Ganondorf, whose anger and frustration was getting so out of hand that it was hard to keep track of his moves.

"I have no time for this!" Ganondorf turned his hand into a large dark claw and smacked the General into a nearby tree. Unable to do anything, the Sheikah was rendered unconscious as Ganondorf hurried to the nearest incarnation of Liam.

 _I can't keep this up for much longer!_ The version of Liam who wasn't facing Fi avoided a blast of magic from Midna and tripped in the process. He gritted his teeth and pushed himself up and kept running, no matter how much he was shaken. Unfortunately it was not easy to be facing Fi and running from Midna at the same time and he could feel himself losing his focus as the world began to spin around him. _Triforce of Power, please give me your strength! Make my magic powerful enough for me to survive this!_

It had to be the Triforce of Power that was allowing him to be able to accomplish all that he had done so far. There was no way he could have pulled off the split.

Then he felt it- it was as if something had stabbed him through the back. One part of his mind acknowledged that Fi had managed to stab her sword from back to stomach though the other duplicate.

"This isn't the first time, nor will it be the last that I will take the life of one of Hylia's precious humans." Fi coldly told the defeated half before he vanished.

Liam stumbled as he felt his other half return to him, but with it came a nasty memory of something he saw before, thanks to Fi's words:

 _A blonde warrior girl turned to her companion and was in the middle of enjoying her hard won victory while Fi carefully timed the moment from the shadows. With one hard throw- helped by a burst of magic- her sword went right through the girl, knocked her down to her knees, and smashed her shield into pieces._

Liam saw this past event once before- it was going to happen again. There was no question about it and he had to get to Hyrule before-

"Think you can run like a coward, boy?"

He glanced up to see Ganondorf, who possibly transported himself with dark magic to reach him. Liam panicked and turned around, only to see that Midna was coming towards him.

"No, no, NO!" Liam summoned up a storm of magical energy that surrounded him. "I can't let you have it!" Ganondorf's response was to send a sword up and he began to charge up a ball of yellow energy that Liam was quick to recognize. It was a favorite of Ganondorf's that would be used against him if one possessed a specific sword that Liam did not own.

Understanding that there was no way to counterattack the specific spell, Liam focused as his book levitated in front of him and summoned up as much power as he could to put up another cube to serve as a barrier. It was just in time too, since the spell that was sent out produced an electrical charge that would have possibly paralyze Liam, if not outright kill him.

Determined to destroy the barrier, Ganondorf readied another spell which was not as powerful as the last one but it was enough to try to circle around the barrier and rotate around it continuously. This attack was especially designed to wear down the barrier and though Ganondorf had more patience, his accomplice had less of it.

"This is going to take awhile, isn't it?" Midna sighed as she played with her mirror. A Goron came running towards her and as soon as it got close enough, she smashed the backside of the mirror into his face as hard as he could without even looking. "Well, I'm out of here." She turned around and walked away. "He said that he wanted to defeat him on his own. Well, I don't see any more reason to stick around." She threw a hand up and shrugged.

Ganondorf sent out another spell and increased the damage to the barrier. In the meantime, Liam could feel each increase of Ganondorf's spells and it was wearing him down.

 _I can try to send myself to Zelda and Link! I can still try to fix this!_ Liam thought as he tried to think of a spell that could help him. _I know I can do it!_

 _And what about the people who promised to help you on this battlefield?_ A voice echoed in the back of his mind. _You might as well have lead them all to their death._

This one moment of hesitation made him lose his focus and falter with the spell. The barrier lost its power and it shattered from the outside force before exploding into bursts of light that fizzled out.

Something shot out and wrapped itself around Liam before it squeezed him tightly before he could react to the loss of his barrier. Liam cried out as something shot through his body and he collapsed to his knees as his book fell to the ground and upon looking down, he saw that Ganondorf's dark magic was tightening around him- no, it was _suffocating_ him.

"You thought you could have the heart of my greatest opponent, Ceiya?" Ganondorf laughed as he slammed a foot down on Liam's book and kicked it away from him. "You're hardly a match for her in any aspect. You tried to play the hero but I'm afraid your efforts were for nothing." He clenched his hand and a much more painful shockwave went through the white sorcerer, who let out an agonized scream. This treatment lasted for thirty seconds and Liam wanted to just die during that entire time before the magic trap vanished from around him.

Liam collapsed to the ground in a heap as Ganondorf approached him. "No..." he panted as he looked up at Ganondorf, who proceeded to reach out and grab his neck.

"You pride yourself in your scholarly knowledge of the history of this world." Ganondorf spoke as he hoisted the sorcerer up into the air with just one hand and squeezed his neck, earning a cry from the boy. "Yet you could not plan a better defense against me or my army. Your lack of focus on the present or the future was your downfall- you are not worthy of being the holder of my share of the Triforce!"

They both could feel it- the Triforce of Power was seeking the stronger of the two and was escaping from the sorcerer.

"No," Liam grunted in a panic as the mark of the Triforce vanished off his hand and reappeared upon Ganondorf's own. It glowed as Ganondorf felt a familiar surge of energy fill him from head to foot.

Yes- this power that had been denied from him for far too long had finally come back. Not only did it feel like a part of him was returning, but he could fell his power amplifying from within. It was coursing through his blood and filling him up with a sense of weightlessness. It was better than any common addiction known to man and he could never get enough of this. He desired more of it; he _had_ to have more of this power and his body was screaming out for it.

He wanted to _rip it out_ of the ones who had more of this power.

Ganondorf chuckled darkly at the sight of Liam's horrified face, which made this victory even more sweeter than it already was. "Even though he was a fool to the very end, your darker half was more powerful than you, Ceiya." He squeezed Liam's neck again and continued to do so until his face was about to turn as blue as his own hair.

Ganondorf pulled back his free hand and curled it into a fist that glowed with a dark fire before slamming it into the Sorcerer. Liam let out a half strangled, half gasping sound as his eyes bulged from the impact of the fist running into his body and when Ganondorf dropped him to the ground he was unable to move. It hurt to breathe and when he was finally able to, he ended up coughing out a small spray of blood.

* * *

Gradually Ganondorf's army was able to overthrow Liam and Impa's men, whose number had dwindled down to a badly outnumbered group. Many had already perished in the fight and the rest were being rounded up and lead to the fairy fountain. Only two soldiers had managed to escape and found a still unconscious Impa, who was about to be taken by a monster.

"No!" Kay and his female companion were about to attack the monster when a small tornado suddenly crashed down into the monster and killed it. Both knights stopped and waited as the tornado vanished and a familiar wind mage appeared in its place.

Vaati glanced up to see what was happening and one look was all it took to see that Impa's army had been defeated. He also saw that there was no way he could be of any aid if Ganondorf had won and he was carrying the white sorcerer over his shoulder in front of the prisoners who were being guarded by the monsters.

"Carry the General with you." Vaati commanded the two knights. "We must warn the King."

"But our companions!" Kay protested.

"Its too late." Vaati glared at the knight while the female knight hoisted Impa on her feet. "So do them a favor and help the people you swore to protect."

Kay gave his companions one last look before he took Impa's sword and joined Vaati, who took the only few he was able to rescue back to the castle in another burst of a magical tornado.

This did not escape Ganondorf's notice but he was not bothered by it. He threw Liam upon the ground and watched as the boy struggled to get on his knees but one of Midna's stone hands came forth and trapped him in his grasp.

"So this is the best you can do to stop me?" Ganondorf asked Liam as he looked upon the defeated army of both Goron and Hylians. Most were terrified and most were tired out, but there were quite a few who were daring enough to shoot Ganondorf a look of hatred. "You all thought you could play the hero and stop me before your beloved champion could?" He gestured to them with an amused smirk. "Charming but futile. None of you were able to defeat me when I lacked the Triforce of Power and now you certainly can't." He held his fist up and showed off the mark for emphasis.

"Let me remind you exactly _why_ your ancestors feared me. Let me show you a taste of the despair I will inflict upon all your races." He turned to Midna and Fi. "The captains." He commanded.

With a nod Midna snapped her fingers and summoned two more stone hands- each one containing a prisoner. When the prisoners who were guarded by the monsters saw who the two were they were horrified, but a weaponless Geode let out a cry of protest and disbelief when he recognized one of them.

"ORIK!"

Both Orik and Koji were placed between Ganondorf and the prisoners. Neither looked like they were in good condition and Orik had bleed out so much that he himself was convinced that he could easily die on this very day. Koji himself had more energy but he was unable to struggle out of the stone hand as its grasp was too tight.

"Gaze upon your captains of two races who live in a kingdom that will soon be mine!" Ganondorf demanded with a slight sadistic delight to the prisoners. "These men swore to protect Hyrule, aid the Hero of this era, fix your timeline, and tried to stop me like you did upon this very day! I would have rather taken your General for this demonstration but she has apparently abandoned you along with some of your-"

"Go to hell, Ganondorf!" Koji shot his head up and cursed angrily at the king for daring to insult his General's name.

Ganondorf stopped talking and looked upon the young Sheikah for a moment. All eyes were upon the two and waited in anticipation for what would happen to the young man for cursing Ganondorf.

Instead Ganondorf let out a deep laugh that made the Hylians and Gorons shudder in fear. "Oh I've been to hell and back more times than you could dream." Ganondorf told Koji when he finished. "Not even _that_ can keep me from Hyrule."

"Then we'll be waiting by the entrance the next time you get sent back!" Orik managed to wheeze out.

"Then I'm afraid your wait will start in a few moments." Ganondorf turned to Midna and nodded to her. He walked away as she readied a spell upon her mirror and when he was gone she had summoned out a large cannon that aimed itself right at Koji and Liam.

"ORIK, NO!" Geode screamed and got up, but two Gorons quickly grabbed him and pulled him down. "LET GO OF ME! THAT'S MY BROTHER!" He screamed in protest. Orik turned his head as best as he could to see his brother one last time and smiled in pride and regret- he was proud of Geode and he regretted that he would have to leave him and the others behind.

"I SWEAR YOU'LL PAY GANONDORF!" Geode continued screaming. "WE ARE GOING TO STOP YOU EVEN IF IT TAKES AN ETERNITY TO DO IT!"

Orik looked back to the canon and prayed that Geode would have a chance to follow his declaration. "A true Goron to the very end." He mused.

"How does the Goron death prayer go?" Koji quietly asked as he and Orik waited for their demise. It was so strange- he was almost literally facing death and yet he accepted the inevitable without a fight.

"Do you believe in an afterlife?" Orik asked without looking at Koji.

The young man looked up into the sky. "I'm not sure... there's so many versions of an afterlife but I want to believe that the one we all go to is where our loved ones are." He closed his eyes and envisioned his mother and grandfather somewhere in a place beyond this one as well as a set of twin girls who were smiling at him and offering a welcoming hand to him (The short haired one in particular was giving him a playful smile). "I hope I made them all proud."

"I feel the same for both." Orik agreed as Midna readied the canon. With a defiant stare he looked into the canon's hole and began to pray. " _Father Eldin, son of the fire mother Din. May I pass through the fire of the after-life as my light goes out. May you let me become one with my brothers in the great earth. May my life's strength and my life's story have not been in vain. This I ask. This I ask."_

Koji joined in the chant as a bright light formed in the canon. Like the captain next to him, he faced the light and was ready to face it alongside him as an equal and a brother of the battlefield. " _Father Eldin, son of the fire mother Din. May I pass through the fire of the after-life as my light goes out. May you let me become one with my brothers in the great earth. May my life's strength and my life's story have not been in vain. This I ask. This I ask."_

The light grew until it was almost blinding while the Sheikah and the Goron chanted together." _Father Eldin, son of the fire mother Din. May I pass through the fire of the after-life as my light goes out-"_

The canon fired and a burst of white energy shot out towards Orik and Koji.

Ganondorf turned around and stared out towards where Hyrule Castle was as the symphony of the screams of the more fortunate prisoners filled his ears. He was now ready to begin his next campaign against those who dared oppose him- against the two children who always succeeded in thwarting him.

He had many ideas as to how to crush both the hero and the prince when he had time and gradually he narrowed them down to the ones he deemed best through knowing their weaknesses and how they both were able to defeat him those last few times.

He knew what he wanted most of all- to crush the both of them in front of each other and all of Hyrule.

"What shall we do with the prisoners?" Fi asked when she walked up to Ganondorf.

"Has the Great Fairy's Fountain been destroyed?"

"There is a minimal three percent chance that the fountain is still in working order. The cavern that served as its home remains standing."

"Send them all in and seal it up." Ganondorf commanded. "Let them suffocate and starve to death. They'll only be a hinderance if we let them go."

"They will be able to dig themselves-"

"Not if the earth becomes toxic or turns into metal." Ganondorf turned to Liam who could only stare in silence at the sight of the execution that had just taken place. "As for you, Ceiya, you shall join them but they shall never know it." He held Liam's book up. "For what you and your ancestors have done to me by sealing a part of my soul under the Master Sword, I shall repay in similar due to you."

Liam didn't have a chance to protest as his book began to glow with a dark aura. He felt himself be consumed by some sort of cold stinging sensation before everything became dark as he became consumed by a similar aura that engulfed him completely before it darkened and shrank until it retreated into the book.

Ganondorf looked back towards Hyrule Castle. "Link... Zelda." saying both names filled him with an equal, overwhelming disgust and hatred and his grip on the book tightened to the point that he could easily break the spine off if he wanted to. "Your demise is soon at hand; the Triforce _will_ be mine."

* * *

 **It gets worse come May... when we have the one year anniversary of this fan fic... on the exact same battle field of the first chapter...**

 **For those of you who didn't know this, the death chant/prayer was inspired by the same chant in the original music for the Fire Temple in the N64 version of Ocarina of Time and it can be found in the OoT AU fic Time's Trade.**

 **I don't know what Lana's reasoning was in the game since she seemed prepared for the attack. If it were me, I would have tried to form the Triforce again to banish Ganondorf, but the plot of the game demanded otherwise. Like I said, this was not an easy chapter to write out for several reasons.**


	19. Flame of Despair

**Random Swap Fan:** Le gasp! A fish hook! :D Swims up and prepares to 'om, nom, nom.'

I think Elija is somewhere around ten or twelve, so maybe. (I've seen that animation before and it's pretty good.) I guess I haven't expanded upon Midna's abilities enough and I just remembered that she also uses spears. Ganondorf has always been a bit of a sadist and likes to try to break people mentally and I could see him doing this, though time will tell if Orik and Koji's death worked in his favor. Every chapter of this fic requires some form of planning and rationalization and while most of them have been a challenge, they were worth it in the end. And I agree- Nabooru's sacrifice was not in vain and you can see how it effected some events in this chapter. (And maybe she's already up in anyone's version of a heaven playing cards with Koji and Orik.)

 **mysteriousguy898** : How DOES Midna find all those bridges to use? That's what I'd like to know. Here in canon, the Master Sword IS the only thing that can defeat Ganondorf, but I think the fishing net would make an excellent outtake when I get the chance. (I can see Ghirahim getting REALLY POed about it.) The Master Sword is a weapon that you can use to fight, but Four Swords Adventures and the first Zelda told us that 'nah, you don't need it.'

Liam and Ceyia are still one and the same to Ganondorf, so he doesn't care who is really who. As much as I hate to admit this, killing off some of the characters will make things less crowded for me, though Koji was really close to surviving this story and Geode was going to die instead of Orik. (The only one from the modern era who gets a guaranteed immunity from death is Epona.)

 **HeroAlexa249** : I feel horrible making you cry through the death of the captains. Its even worse if you see what I told mysteriousguy898 in the above response about Koji and Orik. They were enjoyable to write, so I do feel bad about having Ganondorf kill them off. (And I feel the same about Ghirahim when I play as him- its enjoyable to use him but he's also the bad guy. Also the AIs do need improvement.)

 **PokemonTrainer4700** : If you do, let me know. :) Also- AH! Yes I would like to be adopted into the Pines family! I've gone as far as drawing fan art on my deviant art account (tornrose24) and I want to write a one-shot at some point! The show is possibly the best cartoon I've seen in a long time. (I admit, when I saw that you wrote JK, my mind thought "'JK Simmons' and-" and then I cut myself off. The obsession has gotten to me.)

 **Medli forever:** I owe you a long overdue discussion about Gravity Falls. And yeah, I know what you are talking about in regards to that episode, which I did re-watch not that long ago. Its still pretty funny even with THAT in mind. (Yeah, that needs a PM for the discussion. BTW, which AU is your favorite? Also, as I said in the above response, I've done fan art for Gravity Falls on my deviant art account: tornrose24.)

 **Did I answer everyone's questions? I'll try again next time around if I hadn't.**

 **Ok then...**

 **Oh lord, this has been one heck of a chapter- its been really chaotic and it was hard to strike the right balance. (Especially with Midna and Fi- if I didn't succeed with them here, then its time to go all out for their final appearance.) Its definitely one where I knew what would happen in both beginning and end while I struggled with the middle until it ended up becoming more about focusing on the storyline than to try to handle all the chaos that was this level in the game. (A level that was deliciously ironic and sadistic in one of the best possible ways for all players.)**

 **I especially struggled with trying to make this all work out for all the characters involved or were added in this AU.**

 **Would you believe its been one year since I started this fic? Ironically it takes place at the very same location of the first chapter and yet its so opposite in tone. I remember writing a little of the first chapter back in April and I never expected what I would do when I would get to this point or that another Hyrule Warriors game would come out. (Nothing new about Zelda Wii U though. Darn you Nintendo.) A lot has happened in real life for me between chapter 1 and chapter 19 too.**

 **I really appreciate those who have stuck with this fic to this point. There are times where thinking out these fan fics take over my mental state (since I tend to obsess over things too easily) and there are times where I think 'I want this to be over' or 'I really want to stop this!' and then I think about what I want to present to you guys and your reviews and following help fuel the fire to this fic. What seems to be an eternity for me must be one chapter to read within an hour for you guys and yet I love it when I can make you laugh, cry, or present something to discuss about.**

 **So enjoy this milestone chapter... or most likely hate me for it because you know what happens at this point in the game and that I have a tendency to go all out now and then.**

* * *

 _ **He heard a whispered voice: "If thou hast a strong desire or dream, wish for it..." And in reply, the roaring laughter of the brigand leader echoed across time and space and even reached the far off-land of Hyrule.**_

 **\- excerpt from Legends of Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past SNES instruction booklet.**

 **Chapter 19: Flame of Despair.**

The sky was becoming noticeably cloudy over the lands of Hyrule and Zelda wondered if it would rain soon. It made her wish that she had thought of wearing a coat on her way back to the castle town.

"It hasn't been that long since that battle outside the castle, hasn't it?" Proxy asked as he flew beside her. "A _lot_ has happened since then."

It was so surreal- not that long ago she was hurrying across town so that she wouldn't be late for practice and that day marked the start of an adventure she would never have imagined she would ever have. She smiled as she felt the Master Sword hanging over her back and decided that it was one of the best days she ever had in her entire life.

"Definitely one of the best days I've ever had." She admitted out loud.

"You also got to be friends with the crown prince and the princess." Proxy added. "I'd say that's a nice addition to your luck."

"I suppose." Zelda felt her mind wander to Link and found herself smiling.

"You were just thinking of Link, weren't you?" Proxy asked.

"What?" Zelda looked at the fairy in alarm.

"You're kind of easy to read sometimes."

Zelda groaned and slapped her cheeks. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with liking him." Proxy told her. "He's a prince, he's attractive, and he has a good personality. What girl wouldn't-"

"It's not that." Zelda shook her head. "I mean, yes there's so much about him that I- I mean-" she stammered and sighed. "He does care about my wellbeing and I appreciate all that he has done for me and that he actually listens to me. He loves music, he likes animals, he is a great brother to Aryll, and he can be wonderfully optimistic as well as funny when he is at his best. I do want to get to know him more as a person and I think I could see myself kiss-" She stopped and blushed at the thought as she momentarily lost her breath.

Yes- yes she could see herself doing that. And the craziest thing was that it didn't matter which version of Link she would want to kiss because it was still the same person. He still had negative qualities, but she could overlook them because they really didn't matter to her. _Especially_ if they were qualities that he himself had acknowledged and tried to work at correcting on his own.

She then remembered what was bothering her and shook her head. "I can't though. If the both of us are reincarnations of people from past eras who just happened to end up together, then I don't want him to feel pressured into entering a relationship because its our destiny or something like that. I can't put Link through that." She firmly declared. "Especially if he thinks I'm those same heroes rolled into one and not just me."

"By Din this all hurts my head." She held her head as they passed through the entrance to the town. "I mean, I possibly met the mother of my past incarnation and she might be my actual mother! How would Link feel if he had to marry the reincarnation his own great-great-grandmother or something like that? Even if I tell myself I'm not the same Zelda from those other eras, I still can't see things the same way ever again."

"Yeah, but do you really believe Marni is your mother?" Proxy asked. "If you don't then I doubt Link would see you as his ancestor. Maybe you should ask how he feels about this sometime."

Zelda was about to respond when she immediately sensed that something was wrong. The sounds of merriment and everyday activity was replaced with yelling and urgency and the streets were filled with people who were carrying belongings or were trying to set wagons and carriages up. Their eyes were filled with panic and fear that made Zelda concerned and when she made eye contact with someone, there was a strange hopefulness in their eyes that furthered her confusion.

"I wonder what's wrong?" Proxy said.

As Zelda entered the town square, she saw Sir Winslow with his husband and their children. They too had their belongings out and Zelda desired to know what exactly was causing this change throughout the town. "Sir Winslow!" She saluted as she approached the captain who returned the gesture. "What is going on?" She asked.

"The king has advised the people to evacuate the town as a precaution." Winslow grimly informed the young woman. When he saw her confused expression, he told her the full truth. "Ganondorf claimed the Gerudo Desert as his own and it is highly possible that he is going to come after you and the prince."

Zelda felt her heart stop and her blood turn to ice.

 **-Hyrule Castle-**

All the knights at the castle were readying for a possible war while others were helping with the evacuation in the town. There was also a grim urgency within the castle and an uncertainty that wouldn't go away, no matter the little optimism that still remained.

"You have to go back!" Aryll watched from behind a pillar as Impa confronted Vaati. "You have to save those that were left behind!"

"I can't promise that." Vaati held a hand up in protest. "I'm still needed here. You of all people should know that even if I were successful, they wouldn't be in the right condition to fight."

"Well you certainly found enough time to rescue what little you could!"

"General Impa, need I remind you that I can use my magic to give your army an advantage?"

Aryll felt someone put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, let's leave them be." Link told her as he lead her away from the argument.

"Aryll, I need you to help evacuate some of our residents onto a few of our country's ships." Link instructed as the siblings headed down the stairs. "There's a place or two not far from here where they will be safe and away from Ganondorf in the event of a worst case scenario."

"Help evacuate the residents." Aryll repeated Link's instructions out loud. "Got it." She nodded.

"There's one more thing." Link added as they reached the end of the stairs and entered a hallway. He glanced down and saw that Linebeck was waiting with an uncomfortable look on his sunken face. "You're going with them."

Aryll turned around in confusion. "What?" She then protested. "But I want to stay and help you!"

"You are next in line after me and the people look up to you." Link faced his sister and grabbed her shoulders. "Linebeck is going to take you on his boat and help you and the others get out of here. If you don't hear from me within a year then expect the worst and take everyone somewhere far away from here as possible."

"I don't wan't to leave you!" Aryll angrily protested as she grabbed Link's wrists. "I know enough magic to help you fight Ganondorf!"

"I don't want to lose you or have Ganondorf harm you!" Link angrily responded. "I almost lost it when I saw you get hurt, but if I let it happen again then I would never be able to forgive myself! I trust your abilities but they alone won't be enough to stop him!"

"You can't make me abandon Hyrule or leave you to Ganondorf!"

"Yes I can!" Link looked up to Linebeck and gave him a nod. The sailor took the cue and headed towards the frustrated Princess, who he grabbed by the arm and pulled her away from her brother with all the reluctance that came with it.

"Let me go!" Aryll protested as she tried to pull away from Linebeck. "Link!" She turned to her brother who forced himself to go down the opposite end of the hallway. "LINK!"

 _I'm doing the right thing._ Link told himself as he hurried away. _I'm not making the same mistakes as my ancestors did. I have to evacuate everyone and I have to get Aryll out of here._

" _You can keep telling yourself that, but we both know that Ganondorf is going to find a way to get to us."_ A voice in his head spoke. _"We can't save everyone."_

Link scowled and tightened his hands into fists. _I won't. I have an army, the Triforce of Wisdom, and a wealth of knowledge on how to defeat him._

" _Oh look who's being cocky again! And what if Ganondorf has a plan up his sleeve? Vaati did say that he was able to get the Triforce of Power back and that he has two infamous ladies from history on his side."_

Link wasn't exactly sure how to respond to this. When Impa recovered and recounted what she knew, combined with what Vaati and the only two knights who were saved recounted, Link felt overwhelmed and terrified. All he could think of was to get everyone out of the town and that was the only thing that felt like he had control over. Ganondorf coming specifically for him and Zelda really scared him and that was second only to the very idea that he could harm his sister to get to him.

It was when he was nearing the main hall that he saw Zelda coming in with her fairy companion and she was hurrying of to Din-knows-where. Between the two of them, Ganondorf would want to go after her first.

 _I won't let that happen._ Link felt a rising anger inside him and he couldn't tell which part of him it belonged to. Shadow still felt like a separate entity when he was himself- when he was Link.

" _Which brings back the question of if its out of duty or... you know."_ The voice said suggestively, yet there was a hint of undeniable concern.

 _Shut up._

" _You know what I'm talking about- we know how we really feel about her. Don't deny it green guy. Or are you worried that deep down she might feel like she has to love you because of some reincarnation bull-"_

 _This isn't important right now!_ Link scowled and snarled internally as he headed to the throne room. _Yeah, I have strong feelings about her, but I'm not going to do anything about it when I have more important matters to think about right now! Plus, if she really thinks that way about me then I'd rather not force her so why don't you shut up and get back in my head?!_ He recalled all too well how angry he was towards Ganondorf and Ceyia at the Temple of Souls, what her manifestation of all the incarnations told him afterwards and he was scared, he was flattered, and he was concerned by her dedication towards him. But that deity wasn't the same Zelda that he knew- the Zelda that had captivated him in the forest- and all that mattered to him from that meeting was that Zelda had been safe and survived what had happened to her.

But Ganondorf was all that mattered to him at the moment. That and making sure everyone was safe. The last thing he needed now was his darker side to try to manifest itself through him in the process.

" _You can keep telling yourself that, but you keep forgetting that we are both the same individual. I can still manifest myself through you even without the mirror."_

 _Oh Godesses will you shut up?!_

" _By the way, I totally would have punctured Ceyia through the kidneys at the Temple of Souls."_

Link groaned and tried to continue on his way.

 **-Elsewhere-**

Impa couldn't remember the last time she felt at ease. All that she knew now was constant concern for the future and her frustration and guilt over what happened at the Valley of Seers only worsened thanks to Vaati's disagreement.

After doing all that was possible to help prepare for the upcoming battle, she came across Zelda in the training yard. The girl was sitting against the wall with her fairy companion resting upon her shoulder as she stared at the Master Sword in her shaking hands. As Impa came closer, she saw that the girl had a troubled look on her face and didn't look up until the general was just feet away from her.

"I already know what's going on." Zelda emotionlessly told Impa before staring at the sword again.

"Then why aren't you with the others to discuss our strategy?" Impa asked.

Zelda let out a weak laugh. "I tried to recall the ways that Ganondorf was defeated and I still don't have a clue as to what to do when he comes. I barely remember what happened back at the Temple of Souls and even then that wasn't me that faced him. And now everyone is probably expecting me to be able to win this battle against him when-" She stopped to take a moment to compose herself and looked at her hands. "Look at me. I'm a successor to several others heroes and I'm _terrified_. I shouldn't be- I own the Triforce of Courage for Farore's sake! And yet I'm terrified over the fact that I have to face him knowing that he'll want to kill me!"

It was then that Zelda realized the Impa had sat next to her at some point and was still listening to her. Then it hit Zelda as to just how selfish she was being in that moment.

"I'm sorry." She shook her head and set the Master Sword down. "I heard about what happened at the Valley of Seers. I can only imagine how you are feeling after what happened or how many have died to try to stop Ganondorf. I can't believe how selfish I am– everyone is making so many sacrifices while I'm just scared about my part in all of this. I should be comforting you."

Impa's face fell and the stoic mask came off. A deep sorrow could be seen in her eyes as she drew her legs to her body and wrapped her arms around them.

"My men died because I made choices that I was second guessing from the moment we arrived. Not only that, but only two of my men were saved along with myself, while the others are at Ganondorf's mercy. I can never forgive myself for that." She looked at Zelda. "I see you like a younger sister as much as I see Link as a younger brother. I do think that you could do more to help us out, and you have a right to be scared, but you can't have courage without fear." She let out a deep sigh and grabbed Zelda's shoulder. "Please- all I ask as Impa and not as your General is to not let the loss of my men go to waste. We need to try to win and save our companions from the Valley of Seers."

Zelda remained silent for a few moments before she reached over to hug the general. Before Impa could react, Zelda let go and picked up her sword. "I promise I-" She hesitated. She wanted to say that she would avenge Impa's men but that felt wrong. "Thank you for speaking your mind, Impa." She said instead. "We look up to you and if you ever feel that you need someone to turn to... well, I'm here for you."

Zelda got up and left as the General also got up, but the latter thoughtfully watched the former go.

Impa held her face in her hands and struggled to suppress her anger and sorrow. It was only when Zelda left that she finally took her sword out and chopped a nearby practice dummy in half with one hand that was fueled solely by her emotions.

 **-And so they did all that they could-**

All of the citizens had been evacuated within two hours and had began to scatter to certain locations across or beyond the kingdom. Those who wanted to serve in the battle were welcome to stay and aid the knights.

King Alfon remained in the throne room and stared up at the statues of the Goddesses that hung over the throne. "Goddesses of Hyrule." He pleaded. "Watch over my people. Please guide my niece and nephew and let them be safe in their respective futures. If I am to die before I ever see them again, then let me die with honor."

He respectfully bowed to the statues before walking out of the throne room to help his people escape from the town.

* * *

Meanwhile, upon a horse drawn wagon, princess Aryll was dressed in a feminine version of her brother's clothes and she had the wind waker tucked in her pockets while a pair of crossbows were strapped to her legs. She stared at the other wagons that were following hers before she glanced up to see her castle slowly fade into the horizon.

"He's just trying to protect you kid." Linebeck tried to reassure the princess as he sat against the wall with arms crossed over each other. "As much trouble as he's given me, I know for a fact that once he sets his mind to something, there isn't stopping him."

"We believe in him." Malon turned herself partly around from her position at the head of the wagon to help reassure the princess. "We know that he'll give it his all."

Aryll kept her eyes to the castle as she pulled her hood over her head. A great conflict was growing inside her and she dared not show it.

* * *

"Concentrate, concentrate." Vaati tried to focus on the spell runes laid upon the ground. "You just need to put up a protection spell upon Link and Zelda and then put up the shields around the keeps." He raised two fingers up to his forehead and was about to begin to chant the incantations when a feminine giggle interrupted him.

"Who-?!" He turned around to come face to face with none other than Midna.

"Heh, this place brings back memories." Midna rubbed her chin.

In his state of alarm, Vaati readied an attack spell and was about to unleash a blast of purple energy that escaped from his hand when he was suddenly turned into particles of twilight and was sent away from the room.

"Huh, I don't think I've seen this room before." Midna glanced around the otherwise very spacious room. She shrugged and then vanished back to where she came from.

* * *

Elsewhere in the near completely deserted town of Hyrule, a mask salesman was packing his belongings away.

"There's no stopping the coming of the Boar." He sang. "If you so much as try to bring him in as a pawn for a few seconds, he'll want to take over your position as king." He took one particular mask and stared at it. "I wonder what he'll do to the hero this time." His grin widened. "The dark sorcerer brought her to the brink of madness with his lust. What will the Boar do through his wrath?" He let out a deep chuckle as he placed the heart shaped mask lined with spikes over his face.

 **-And they prepared for the worst-**

Link was to be stationed in one sealed off location to the east, along with a handful of soldiers as a last resort. In the meantime, the others were carefully positioned and ready to attack.

"I can do this, I can do this." He chanted to himself as he stood by Epona's side and was ready to ride her if he needed to. He petted her side to try to reassure them both, but it wasn't working. _If anything goes wrong, then its all my fault. He's going to try to come after her first- I know it. I can't let anyone else die because of how foolish I was._

Meanwhile, Zelda stared out into the fields while the army was at her back. Any moment now, Ganondorf would come and she was afraid of what would happen. With that one exception of being that combined form of all past incarnations, she never faced Ganondorf head on before. She remembered that she wasn't afraid back then (more like angry to the point that was almost overwhelming) but now she wasn't so sure.

 _You are the successor to several heroes before you. You can do this._ She tried to reassure herself as she looked at her army- they were all depending on her. Winslow, Ashe, Groose, Pipit, and so many others would aid her, but the outcome of this battle would depend on her success. All of them seemed to have a mix of fear and hope in their faces.

She took the Master Sword out and gripped it tightly to the point that it almost hurt. _Relax- you've faced several monsters and foes before. Ganondorf is not different when all is said and done._ She tried to tell herself, but it felt like she was lying to herself. Ganondorf was not just some mindless beast but a very dangerous monster when he set his mind to it.

"We have your back Zelda." Proxy told her. "Ganondorf is going to have to go through us if he wants you."

 _Thats what I'm also afraid of. I can't have anyone else dying because of me. I wish I knew what to do–I wish that my past incarnations could have told me what to do._

 **-And he waited for the moment to crush them all-**

"They are here." Fi told Ganondorf as he stared at Hyrule Castle- that hateful piece of architecture. "I can detect the barer of Courage near the castle and someone of equal power to the east."

Ganondorf smirked. "So they _were_ expecting me. That seems like an inconvenience, but it'll make crushing their spirits that much enjoyable. And you took care of those who could be a great hinderance?" Ganondorf turned to Midna.

"Pretty much." Midna confirmed before offering her aid. "I'll lead a group to the east at the rock face checkpoint. I can force a route for our advance but I'd like to see if I can meet the descendant of the wolf girl and the prince if I can. If not I'll be more than happy to meet the successor instead."

"As long as you remember what to do." Ganondorf warned her.

"I shall do the same when I approach the castle." Fi added. "Diminishing their stamina and power will increase chances of victory."

Ganondorf turned to face the large army of waiting monsters that were eager to attack. He was so close to victory- he could practically smell the familiar metallic scent of blood in the air. If only that blood were that of the Juror of Courage and the Keeper of Knowledge. Soon they would suffer for all they had done to him, he thought as his hands tightened into fists.

"You all know what must be done!" Ganondorf's voice boomed out. "Follow my commands, kill as much as you desire, leave the strongest to the strongest, but the hero and the prince are mine to do as I please!" He held his fist up in the air. "This time the bloodline of Hylia and his chosen hero will run dry and his lands will be mine at last!"

There was a terrible symphony of jeers, hisses, cries, roars and yells from the hordes. They desired for this day to arrive and soon it would become a reality!

Ganondorf took out his swords and aimed their ends towards the castle. "Now go and prove your worth!"

Midna and Fi transported themselves closer to the castle while the monsters raced ahead.

The knights who were already out in the field saw the monsters coming. "READY, MEN AND WOMEN OF HYRULE!" Sir Winslow yelled as he took his sword out and charged ahead.

"DON'T LET THEM REACH LINK OR ZELDA!" Ashei yelled as she charged ahead with a ball and chain out and ready.

The knights made their way to attack as the warnings were shouted all across the fields.

"You think that shutting your gates and hiding in your castle will keep you safe?" Ganondorf asked as he stared at the castle one last time before smirking in amusement. "How adorable." He went forward towards the mountain keep to claim a part of the field.

As Midna swung her spear out and swept her opponents out of the way, she hurried to the rock face checkpoint. Midway through, a voice yelled out in anger for her.

"MIDNA!"

Midna glanced over to see Ashei glaring at her as she held onto the chain that attached to her weapon. "Oh yes, I suppose I'd encounter one of you again." Midna greeted the captain. "We certainly had good times back at the palace, didn't we?"

Ashei scowled and charged at Midna. She swung the ball and chain overhead and attacked anything that got in her way while Midna remained unfazed. "Oh yeah, it's not like I hadn't had to face _that_ weapon before." She waited until Ashei swung the ball at her before summoning out her third hand and grabbing the ball. It was when she arched her hand back over her head that Ashei realized what was about to happen and quickly ran and ducked before she could get hit.

"You'd think you'd learn rom the first time, but no–your just as stupid as your comrades." Midna sighed as she shrugged and held her hands up with spear still in hand.

Ashei took her sword out and charged forward once more without stopping.

"Don't let her get near!" Sir Winslow yelled as Fi charged towards the castle from the northern east end.

So many men willing to lay down their lives for two individuals and an entire kingdom. It was fascinating to Fi to see how far the bloodlines of Hylia's people ran as well as their resolve. It was unfortunate for them that these numbers had to be diminished.

"You won't hypnotize everyone this time!" Karane yelled as she and Pipit tried to ambush Fi at the same time. Both had their swords out and when they tried to strike, Fi in turn was able to block the attacks with her own blades.

"I wonder how many lives will die upon this battlefield." Fi casually said as she blocked each of the couple's attacks as if she were dancing gracefully with her swords instead of protecting herself.

"Lady Ashei needs our help!" Proxy told Zelda after flying back to her. Zelda took another deep breath and tried to calm herself before she and Proxy charged ahead into battle.

"Zelda wait!" Groose yelled in protest as he held a hand out, but the girl paid no heed. "Argh!" He threw his hands up and turned to the others. "You heard sparkles– go help her!" He turned and charged forward, along with at least half of Zelda's division of knights.

Elsewhere Link was tightening his hold on Epona's saddle as Bethany and a number of archers waited near the door that separated them from Midna.

"Do not let them get in!" He commanded. "Release your arrows if they barge through!"

"Gladly!" Bethany hollered back.

 _I'm not going to let myself do what I did last time._ Link told himself. _I'm not going to let it happen again._

"It appears that one of my commanders needs my help." Ganondorf saw that Midna was having a hard time with Ashei, who was managing to put up a decent fight with her. "Continue on!" He commanded those who followed him before charging forward.

"You got this Zelda!" Proxy cheered as Zelda charged forward and was almost about ready to cross through the field to enter a keep to get to Ashei. "Show them what your made of!"

"That's right!" Zelda panted as she sliced a monster in half that had gotten in her way. "There's no way they'll be able to overpower us on their own!"

As Ganondorf approached a keep, something inside him said that he was about to find something that would give him trouble. As he entered it, someone that he was expecting came charging through one of the entryways and when her eyes caught sight of him, she came to a sudden stop and almost fell over in shock as a fairy came charging in after her.

"Zelda? Zelda what-?" The fairy stopped and looked at Ganondorf.

Despite everything that she knew– despite that she knew that this moment would come– Zelda felt her courage fail her in the moment she saw Ganondorf with her own eyes. Even though he appeared to her as something close to a human, everything about him, from his impossibly tall stature to his giant swords, came across as wild and overwhelming. This was the one who had tried repeatedly to take over Hyrule and caused so much destruction while taking many lives in the process. This was the one who allowed so many monsters to roam free and who gave nightmares to children while robbing adults of their courage. This was the one she was destined to face and even with all of her training and knowledge, she still did not feel ready for this.

To Ganondorf, this was the first true time that he met the newest incarnation of the hero face to face. From what he had seen, the girl did share some important physical characteristics with her predecessors and she possessed the same weapon, but it was the eyes he was more interested in. Each hero before her had hatred in those eyes as well as determination- something that he could empathize with, as strange as it seemed. Those eyes always contained a confidence that showed how much the owner believed she would win.

And these eyes? There was determination but these eyes were different. These eyes had a fear in them the second they saw him- they had not seen the horrors that he personally caused, nor were they the hardened gaze that came from much experience. This was a hero who had been granted far too many comforts and helping hands before getting to this point.

Where was that angry deity from before? The one whose hardened eyes had burned with that hatred and who didn't hesitate upon seeing him?

"So you're the hero of the era." Ganondorf addressed her. "I must say I'm rather disappointed in you. You should have kept that deity like form from our last encounter- at least then you would have held the anger kept by your predecessors."

"You aren't getting the Triforce this time, Ganondorf!" Zelda raised her sword up as she felt her determination come back and remembered why she needed to fight him in the first place. "I won't let you!"

"You honestly think you can defeat me on your own?" Ganondorf asked as he readied his weapons. "Remember girl that you are the very reason I am even here to begin with. Ceyia wanted you alive and even resurrected me to make you his but I wouldn't mind it if I killed you here on the spot."

"Ganondorf, you can't win!" Proxy yelled at Ganondorf. "Not as long as Zelda is around to fight you!"

Ganondorf momentarily eyes the fairy and was tempted to do to it what he did to the last fairy companion in the alternate timeline (that annoying little pest who talked too much and distracted him during the worst possible time), but he also knew that it wouldn't have fitted into how he was going to go about this plan. The demon king let out a deep laugh of amusement instead. "Then come and fight me little hero. Prove your companion how invincible you are!"

"Please give me strength." Zelda whispered as she held her sword out and Ganondorf charged forward to make the first move.

"I've outlived more 'hero's than you can imagine, girl!" Ganondorf boasted as he sent up a sword into the air and sent thunder crashing towards the girl who moved out of the way, yet did not attempt to make a move against him.

"What is a matter?" He asked as he walked towards her. "Are you afraid of me, child? You bring shame to your fallen comrades." He swung his blade out and Zelda was quick to block one of the swords with her own, before holding her shield up to stop Ganondorf's other sword. It did little to help as it felt as if the sword would smack the shield out of her grip. Before she had a chance to do anything, Ganondrof charged forward and smashed the side of his body into Zelda before smacked her right into the wall behind her.

He watched as the girl struggled to get up for a second before she was able to push herself up, yet she dared not try to challenge him. She watched him to see what he would do next.

Meanwhile, Ashei was being squeezed by Midna's hand, before it flung her onto the ground and the princess summoned a cage to contain the captain. "I'll deal with you later!" Midna turned herself into dark particles and vanished.

"Well girl?" Ganondorf asked Zelda. "Are you going to fight?"

Zelda finally lost her nerve and moved in with her shield up and that was when Ganondorf chose to smash his sword into the side of the shield, which jerked her to the side. He took a swing at his sword and made to swing in the other direction, but the girl was able to both duck and move her shield up.

Ganondorf made to swing his blades once more, but Zelda not only blocked the attack but she was able to jump as high as she could onto one of the swords, leapt up, and prepared to impale Ganondorf with the Master Sword. Remembering how fatal that particular attack was, Ganondorf dodged the blow and the hero's blade meet the stone ground. He countered by smacking both blade and wielder across the keep and before his opponent knew what he was happening, he charged in and unleashed a furry of swiping motions with his blades upon her before the attack let out a burst of energy that knocked her right into the wall before falling to the ground.

Zelda had somehow managed to feel a burning sensation from the energy that Ganondorf unleashed, while her shield took the full blunt of the attack and was now ridden with scars. To her dismay, she could barely get herself to move and get away from Ganondorf as far as possible.

"Ganondorf found Zelda!" Proxy told Link when he flew to the prince's side. "He's fighting her right now!"

Link could feel a panic rising inside him as he quickly took out a piece of a gossip stone that doubled as a charm attached to a leather cord and held it up.

"Impa you have to get the Great Fairy to help us!" He frantically commanded. "We need her help!" He then willed the stone to reach Zelda. "Zelda you have to retreat and reserve your strength! Can you hear me?!" He demanded while unaware that one of his soldiers gave him a dirty look before vanishing into dark particles of twilight.

Zelda could hear Link's voice from the gossip stone he gave her. Unfortunately for her, so did Ganondorf. "You won't be able to come to his aid this time." He told her as he began to walk towards her. "And neither will he!" He raised his sword up.

Just as he made to bring it down, something flashed in front of him and Zelda had vanished from sight, causing his sword to hit the ground.

He turned his head to see a red headed youth carrying off the hero as fast as he could while doing his best to fight off oncoming monsters. "So you put all your faith into this hero and worry that she'll get hurt. How touching... and pitiful." He snarled.

"I can't believe I just did that!" Groose nervously exclaimed as he held Zelda over his shoulder. "You're killing me here, you know that?!"

 _I can't lose!_ Zelda glanced down to the hand that still held the Master Sword. What was it that Ganondorf did during the Hero of Time's era again? She then remembered. _If Ganondorf can use his part of the Triforce of Power to recover, than so can I!_ She shut her eyes and tried to concentrate and call out to the relic inside her. _Triforce of Courage! Give me your power to heal and rejuvenate my body!_

Within moments the mark of the Triforce glowed upon her hand and she felt a rejuvenating warmth spread throughout her body.

While this happened, Midna appeared beside Fi, who had just finished off Karane and Pipit. (both of whom were still alive but were too exhausted to keep fighting her.) "The Sheikah is heading towards the fountain. You might want to stop her." She then vanished as Fi hurried towards the fountain.

Meanwhile, those to the east were nervously waiting when all of a sudden the gates to the rock face keep exploded into fragments when a blast of white energy bursted through.

"GO!" Bethany yelled to Link. The prince didn't even hesitate to get on Epona and ride her off towards the other end as waves of monsters came rushing through.

"Not this time, not this time." Impa pleaded as she hurried towards the fountain, while attacking those who crossed her pathway. "I can't let them down."

She had just reached the steps that lead to the outside of the fountain when something crashed into her and she was trapped in suspension before she fell to the ground. It was when she turned her head that she saw Fi who did not stop to go ahead and tried to attack her with a wave of small daggers, which Impa blocked with the flat end of her weapon before swinging her own sword and sent a water based magic spell from it and right into the other warrior.

"I don't have time for you!" Impa yelled as she made her way back to the steps, but Fi quickly turned her arms into wings and glided through the air before stopping in front of Impa and attacked her.

"I shall take over from here." A deep voice rang from behind Impa and before she knew it, she was forced to swing her blade around and find it clashing against one of the two that belonged to Ganondorf himself.

"Good to see you again General." Ganondorf coldly greeted. "I see that you aren't resorting to your Sheikah trickery this time around."

Impa let out a cry of rage and attempted to spin her weapon around and attack Ganondorf in the legs, but he was able to block this move with a sword and try to attack her with the other one, which she was quick to back-flip away from with sword still in hand.

"You will soon join the fates of those I've captured and I'll make sure that the one you swore to protect will suffer."

Impa screamed in fury as she charged in and attacked.

Meanwhile, Groose watched over Zelda as she looked at her hand in wonder as she rested against the wall of a keep. "Of course..." She realized as she glanced up to where she had last seen Ganondorf.

"Zelda!" Proxy panicked as he flew to her side. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine!" Zelda spoke and held a reassuring hand up before picking up her weapon and shield. "But there are so many to the north! I can't let the others get swamped with monsters!" She then proceeded to rush ahead.

"Zelda wait!" Groose tried to call for her. "What if that's what they want?!"

Elsewhere, Fi was hurrying as fast as she could when she saw a very familiar form riding on a horse in the distance. It was a green garbed young man fighting off against a horde of monsters upon his horse with a slightly familiar sword- in fact he looked almost like-

" _Don't you see how wonderful this all is, Fi?" Hylia happily gestured out to the wide landscape of his world. "There is so much beauty here that one must need to occasionally stop and appreciate what we have! Does this not fill you with a sense of awe and contentment?"_

The one responsible for her birth and her misery was so aesthetically obsessed with his appearance that he had to make his descendants- his reincarnations- in that similar image? She felt an overwhelming need to eliminate the boy and it wasn't just because of a command given to her.

She charged ahead and sliced anything that obstructed her path- it didn't matter whose side they were on. She sped past the fields and towards the young warrior and when he was alerted by her presence, he quickly jumped off the horse, turned around, and quickly blocked her attack with his sword before she could hurt him.

"Did he promise you something to make you work for him?!" Link demanded as he struggled to hold his weapon up to keep hers from harming him. "You can't honestly expect him to keep it!" His blade shoved the other aside and he entered a clash of swords with the young woman.

"Whatever the odds are, I will at least take some satisfaction in witnessing the end of Hylia's bloodline." Fi coldly responded as she dodged the attack. "Your champion will not be as fortunate. I have it in mind to make her atone for her mistakes in interfering with my plans in my era."

Link laughed. "And what makes you think that you can defeat Zelda when she's more powerful than you?"

"Its not just me. We all will make her pay for her mistakes. You and your family will pay for your mistakes. Ganondorf will ensure that your hero will suffer a thousand times over before he kills her before your very eyes."

A very animalistic glare in the boy's eyes flashed as something inside him snapped. With a furious yell he moved his sword back and tried to take a swipe at Fi, who merely backflipped over him and readied her swords. Before he even had a chance to turn, she took a swing and cut into his back which was only protected by the chain mail that he wore underneath his tunic. The prince let out a proper yell of shock but he was able to turn and try to swipe at her; This was followed up by a fireball that he summoned out and aimed it at Fi who quickly side stepped away from it, as well as the following four blasts that were sent out.

"It's contradictory." Fi pondered out loud as she fought with what was close to the equivalent to a wounded beast. "You have Hylia's face and yet the rage you display is no different to that of a monster. From what I know of you, you certainly lack his wisdom and grace."

The young royal only responded with another loud grunt and lunged at Fi, who was able to glide out of its path.

Elsewhere, Midna allowed herself a small victory when the monsters entered through the rock face keep and began to attack the knights. She was about to rejoin them when she remembered the currently imprisoned captain and headed towards her. Ashei glared at Midna through the bars and the princess was about to attack at the exact moment Zelda ran to Ashei's aid.

"Leave my men alone!"

Midna turned to face someone that she thought she'd never see again. "How did you-?!" She stopped and took another look at the girl. She looked exactly like Zant's wolf girl and even had the same sword, but she was too _sunny_ looking. A sudden realization of the sadistic comedy involved in this moment made her laugh unkindly at the girl. "Oh wow, you must have _really_ messed with his head!"

Zelda kept up her guard as she cautiously approached Midna. "What are you talking about?" She then realized that this woman looked faintly familiar since she reminded her of the Twilis. "Midna?"

"Oh I so wish that I saw the look on Zant's face when he saw you!" Midna readied a new spear. "You look almost exactly like the girl who defeated me!" She charged forward towards Zelda who readied to defend herself. When Midna came in and took a swing, Zelda ducked and charged forward with her sword raised up. Midna bent her head back and allowed her hair to form a third hand that reached out to scoop Zelda from out under, but the girl quickly dodged this and sent a spinning attack at the princess, who quickly blocked the attacks with her spear.

"Hey weren't you a commander to the Gorons?" Midna asked as she made to charge and impale Zelda with a spear while the other blocked with her shield which was forced upward. "The captain had a bit of a mouth on him, and so did that white haired boy. At least until I made them explode with a cannon that is."

Midna was granted the desired effect; she watched as Zelda momentarily turned a shade of pale white at the revelation of the news before her face scowled in rage and she charged ahead.

"Yes that's it blondie!" Midna laughed as she was forced to block more attacks from the blonde girl's hand. "Keep them coming!" _Because the more I can get you exhausted and reckless, the more that you'll make things easier for us._ She smirked.

Things were not easy for Impa; within mere moments she found herself not only defeated by Ganondorf, but was now trapped in some sort of magical orb of purple and black darkness, with enough space to allow her to see the battlefield, but not enough to escape from her prison.

"And now for the wielders." Ganondorf smirked as he picked up his swords and walked away from the General, who struggled to escape from her prison.

"NO!" She screamed. She tried to swing her sword through her prison in anyway possible but it was a futile attempt that only worn her out even more so.

Ganondorf glanced around to see his targets. Sure enough, the boy was still engaged in combat with Fi and it looked like they had been at it for quite awhile. He guessed that it would take longer to wear him out due to his heritage with magic, which left...

... _Her._

Zelda let out a cry of frustration as Midna tried to attack her with a bridge and sweep her away, in addition to using totems, spears, wolves, and a cannon. The woman didn't seem horribly interested in direct fighting but rather making Zelda suffer obstacle after obstacle.

Midna yelled as she sent one of the stone hands out at Zelda, which had its pointer finger out and ready to jab into her. This would have worked if Zelda hadn't dodged out of the way in time and the girl was able to get back into her battle stance, though she was beginning to pant heavily.

"Unfortunately for you, it doesn't seem like you'll get help from an ally this time around." Midna eyed her carefully. "Looks like they left you to the wolves."

A sharp pain and tearing sensation ensued in Zelda's shoulder as she felt the jaws of a big creature bite down into her. She was forced to let go of her shield as a scream escaped from her throat and she practically collapsed to the ground as a large black wolf held its grip on her before another one joined in and headed to her leg.

Link panted as he readied a large fireball (about three times the size of his own head) to throw at Fi when he heard a scream that made him pause in alarm.

"ZELDA!" Link turned around when he was able to hear the girl's scream. This was a dumb move on his part because Fi saw a chance to attack. She kicked him right in the chest and the moment he was stunned, she quickly summoned up a round of daggers and sent them right into his body.

Link found himself trying his hardest not to scream when he felt a blade enter through his right arm, side, and in two different parts of his right leg, but the move was so sudden that the cry escaped him. The fireball he held died out in a flash as he lost his balance and almost collapsed to the ground.

Both screams were pleasing to Ganondorf's ear as he approached Midna, who petted one of her wolves while the other two had a hold on Zelda by her shoulder and her left leg. The girl was on all fours and trying desperately to punch and kick the beasts away, but to no effect. The blood was already escaping from her wounds.

"Oh now that's a sight I thought I'd never enjoy." Midna chuckled as she glanced up at Ganondorf. "She's all yours now." She told him as she and the wolves disappeared into particles of shadow. Though Zelda remained on all fours, she remained upon the ground and when she turned her head to see Ganondorf, her grip on the Master Sword tightened up.

"I'm through toying with you." A dark aura began to surround Ganondorf. "I will take Courage and Wisdom by force if that's what it must take."

Zelda gritted her teeth and willed the Triforce of Courage to heal her again. No, not just that- she needed it to compete with Ganondorf's dark magic.

"I... I am NOT GOING TO LOSE TO YOU!" She yelled as the Triforce of Courage flared up on her hand.

Elsewhere, Link was forced to try to use his large sword with one hand against Fi, but it was futile and the girl was able to have an advantage over the fact that he was injured.

Before either of them knew it, there was an explosion of golden light from somewhere near the north that made them stop. While Fi was confused by it, Link knew what that light meant and he did not stop to force the hand of the injured arm to reach into his side and pull out a green crystal to wordlessly take him away into a green wind and take him to the light.

Fi glanced over to where the prince had disappeared from. She was not fazed by what he had done- rather, she knew that this would increase their success rate since he could not be able to protect the other knights.

Ganondorf was forced to back away from Zelda as a series of light fell from the sky like rain and headed straight towards him. She glared at him with eyes that briefly flashed with gold before they faded back to blue and readied her sword while struggling to maintain her balance on both a normal and an injured leg.

"So you finally bothered to use the Triforce to its full potential." Ganondorf cautiously held his sword out. He hated to admit it, but this unexpected move gave him much concern since the hero- in any incarnation- rarely ever used the Triforce and this girl very quickly understood how to use it.

"Face me, Ganondorf!" Zelda demanded as she charged forward despite her wounded leg protesting against the action and the rain of light followed with her. "Aren't we supposed to be equals?!"

"I will always be far superior to you girl!" Ganondorf yelled as he summoned out his dark energy again and sent a demonic looking hand of black flames right towards Zelda.

Unfortunately for Link, the act of grabbing the crystal increased the sharp sensations from the wound in his arm, which caused him to momentarily have a loss in concentration and the spell dropped him off a few yards from the fight between Zelda and Ganondorf. Before he could turn around to see them, the sight of the rest of the battle caught up to him and he was rendered to silence as he struggled to stay standing.

So much violence and bloodshed appeared before him. All his men and women were struggling against Ganondorf's monsters and he could see many dead bodies of both armies laying upon the ground while the living clashed around them with little regard for the losses at their feet.

With his sword propped up to give him support, he glanced around until he could see one of the last things he ever wanted to unfold before him. Zelda was clashing her sword against Ganondorf's own blades, while both light and dark magic clashed with each other. Ganondorf's darkness tried to shoot out in flames at Zelda, who blocked them with magical shields of gold light, while sacred rain tried to burn her opponent who struggled to avoid them. What scared Link the most was that he could see just how much Ganondorf wanted to kill Zelda through both his wild movements and in those yellow eyes that burned with a hatred that had lasted through many eras.

"I can't–" Link panted as he reached down with his injured arm and hand and grabbed one of the daggers in his leg. "I can't let her fight alone this time!" He grunted through gritted teeth as he pulled the blade out and fought the urge to cry, before forcing himself to do the same to the second one. "Not again!" He grabbed the handle of the dagger in his arm with his mouth and pulled, fighting the urge to scream when it was pulled clean out. He yelled as the Triforce of Wisdom began to activate and he charged forward towards the battlefield.

"GANONDORF!"

"Link?!" Zelda was momentarily distracted upon hearing Link's voice, and that was when Ganondorf took his chance; he sent out a dark flame that quickly surrounded the girl and held her high in the air. The moment the prince was close enough, with sword raised and ready to attack, the demon king created a barrier of red flames around all three of them that was both high and thick enough to prevent anyone from entering or escaping.

Link came to a stop when he saw a very worried looking Zelda suspended up in the air and glared at Ganondorf with hatred in his eyes. "You will not harm us the way you did to our ancestors!" Link swore as he readied his sword again and made the Triforce of Wisdom inside him heal his wounds as he ran towards the bane of his family's lineage.

Ganondorf gave Link a very chilling look of smugness before holding a hand up in the air. It was at that moment that Link realized that he made a very terrible mistake in his actions.

A tendril of dark flames shot out towards Zelda and wrapped around her right wrist before Link heard a very sickening cracking sound, followed by the horrific scream that came out of the girl as her face screwed up in pain. The Master Sword came falling out of her injured hand and landed into the ground several feet below her as she remained suspended in the air.

To Ganondorf, it was pure catharsis to hear and see the girl suffer by his hand. It helped that her misery stopped the rain of light, which made things much more easier for him.

A red haze began to cloud Link's mind as he felt white hot anger consume him but he didn't care. He let out a scream that seemed more fitting more a monster as he grabbed his sword with both hands and charged forward, despite the pain that flooded his body. He forced Din's fire to surround his blade and gritted his teeth in determination as he prepared to unleash a rightfully deserved punishment upon Ganondorf.

Ganondorf turned and the darkness let go of Zelda, who plummeted to the ground as it quickly reached out towards one of Link's legs. Ganondorf willed the dark flames to do to Link as exactly as it did to Zelda and he made sure that it would be unbearable for he young royal.

Before Link knew it, he felt something just above his ankle that should not have been possible and that something let out a loud snapping sound as he screamed and collapsed onto the ground and let go of his blade in the process. His hands dug into the earth as he tried to fight off the pain while he felt a part of his bone jutting out within his boot but it was too much for his senses to handle.

"Just as I suspected." Ganondorf looked between the teenagers- both of whom were in no condition to fight him. "You are both a weakness to each other."

He glanced to Link in particular when the boy had a moment to try to contain his agony. The boy glared at him with eyes that contained a violent emotion that Ganondorf was pleased to see but he was not fazed by it. He slammed his swords into the ground and sent a second flame of darkness towards Zelda that grabbed her around her torso and tightened around her ribcage. The girl let out a strangled choke and struggled to breathe as Ganondorf looked back to Link.

"Doesn't it pain you to see that you cannot save him for once?" He asked. "Does it pain you to see your hero losing before your eyes?"

He willed the darkness holding Link to attach itself to both his arms and legs and willed it to pull him up back onto his feet, which only added to the boy's discomfort when pressure was forced against the injured leg. The darkness forced the young man to drag himself towards the Master Sword, where he was manipulated into grabbing the handle of the scared blade.

Neither Link nor Zelda had any idea what was happening, but it was when Link was forced to turn towards Zelda that both understood what Ganondorf wanted.

"NO!" Link frantically yelled as the darkness forced him to drag himself towards Zelda, whose eyes widened in fear as they glanced between the blade, Link, and Ganondorf. The magic surrounding Zelda pulled her arms up and out and she cried out again when another shot of agony erupted from her injured wrist.

The demon king was smirking in sick delight as the boy came to a stop in front of the girl, who kept shaking her head in protest. Slowly the magic forced Link to draw the Master Sword back as the boy tried to break free from his bonds and the second Ganondorf saw the Triforce of Wisdom on the back of the Prince's hand, he willed the darkness to form a sharp needle that shot into Link's hand and forced him to keep a hold on the blade. The boy let out a sharp cry in between his angered protests and yet he still didn't take his eyes off his companion.

Ganondorf savored the moment of suspense as well as the individual fears that he caused upon both the boy and the girl.

Link's panting became violent as he tried one final time to get go of the Master Sword, but his hand felt as if it were stuck to the handle. He could do nothing but gaze helplessly upon Zelda as every part of him was screaming to pull back and attack Ganondorf.

The blade was drawn back as far as it could while Link and Zelda shared the same terrified look with one another.

For one moment time had frozen for the both of them.

"L- Link." Zelda desperately pleaded as tears began to form in her eyes.

Link's hand was forced and the Master Sword was swiftly driven right through a spot between the right side of Zelda's chest and her shoulder before it was twisted to invoke more pain upon its Mistress.

The girl threw her head back and screamed as Link stared in mute horror at what he had been forced to do. Even when the darkness finally let go of his hand, it still felt stuck to the handle of the sword which had been driven so far into the girl that the other side was sticking right out of her and was covered with her own blood, which slowly ran down the blade itself.

Seeing the hero be harmed by the one that she was supposed to protect- supposed to be loved by- with the very sword that had been used to put an end to him countless times- gave Ganondorf a pleasure so wondrous that he wanted to keep this moment frozen in time to enjoy it without end. He could barely contain the laughter that he wanted to let out as he knew that he wanted to add one more insult to injury for the both of them before claiming victory upon the battlefield.

A shooting pain went through Link's wrist as it was snapped by the dark magic and this time his scream joined with that of Zelda as he was sent to the ground.

* * *

From a distance away from the battle, a young girl dressed in green hurried back towards the castle with all the intent of helping her brother out. She saw that his horse was without an owner and joined her side before she saw something on the fields that made her put an end to her journey.

Impa desperately struggled to get herself out of her prison when she saw something that made her completely stop. It was something that made almost everyone momentarily stop and stare at a sight that was either impressive or horrifying depending on whose side you were on.

Ganondorf stood dead center in the battlefield with both Link and Zelda at his feet. The latter had the Master Sword stuck inside her body and neither of the two seemed to be moving, though they carried serious injuries that spilled blood out onto their broken bodies.

Ganondorf thrusted his swords into the ground and bent down to grab both the boy and the girl up by their broken wrists and hoisted them into the air.

Link let out a sharp cry from the action, which only worsened as Ganondorf tightened his grasp on his wrists. It was much worse for Zelda, who felt the Master Sword shift with her body and her cry was louder than Link's.

Ganondorf held them both up for as long as he could, to show all of the knights of Hyrule what he had finally accomplished. The sight of the realization and despair in all their eyes only sweetened the triumph, but it was what he had done to their Prince and their Hero that made it worth all the struggles he had to go through to reach this moment.

His grip tightened as he willed the Triforce of Power to call out to its equals from within the Keeper of Knowledge and the Juror of Courage. He glanced at the back of his right hand and watched as the mark appeared and the bottom triangles started to glow and fill out and he could feel the power amplify so much that it was almost consuming him. It was rushing in and causing his veins to go insane and mind to go in a haze of pure pleasure that was even more wondrous than when he first got the Triforce of Power back.

To both his victims it was as if a brief numbing sensation was vanishing and leaving them at the mercy of their wounds. It was as if they had been drained both figuratively and literally of all their remaining strength. It was as if the once pleasant warmth was abandoning them and leaving them to the cold.

The moment Ganondorf saw the mark of the Triforce full and complete upon the back of his hand, he dropped his victims to the ground to properly observe what he saw and understand that he had done as he had set out to do.

"At last... all three pieces." He willed the artifact to come out and it came out of his hand to hover in front of him as it shone in all its glory. Seeing it like this made him fully realize what he had managed to do after all these eras and the knowledge slowly began to effect him.

"Heh." He chuckled as he allowed his magic to flare out in red and black flames, which felt stronger than they ever had before. The ground began to shake as the flames increased and he curled his hands into fists as his chuckles turned into a low, deep laugh. "Ha ha ha ha."

All eyes watched as dark flames began to form behind Ganondorf and rose up into the silhouette of a giant beast with ominous yellow eyes. It towered over him as he raised his hands into the air and while his laughter slowly grew in power until he finally let it out in a wild frenzy of madness and triumph.

"HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA!"

This terrible laughter affected all of Hyrule's knights in one way or another. It was all they could hear as it surrounded them like walls of the depths of darkness and it sapped them of whatever hope they had. It didn't affect those like Midna, who smirked at the sight, or Fi who remained stoic. Some like Impa felt the sting of the laughter as a personal, final reminder that they had completely failed in their mission as well as in protecting those they swore to aid. Some like Ashei, Bethany, Groose, Sir Winslow and others could only stare at the fallen at Ganondorf's feet as they realized that those who were meant to always stop Ganondorf and would never give up in doing so were now defeated.

Stunned at what she had seen happened to her brother and Zelda and at what she was now witnessing, Aryll collapsed to her knees while Epona silently stood by her side. Even from this safe distance away from the Evil King she could still hear his laughter echo out towards her.

"HA HA HA HA!"

"This can't be happening." Proxy half whispered and half pleaded out of desperation as he trembled at the sight. "This... this can't be happening."

From where he had fallen, Link struggled to keep his eyes open as he tried to reach for Zelda's hand. It was hard to focus on her as the loss of blood was beginning to effect his vision and everything around him swirled around him while the deathly pale face of his companion remained normal.

The girl stared blankly at him with tears still fresh in her seemingly lifeless eyes as the Master Sword remained stuck in her body. She tried to move her non-injured hand towards Link and tried to say something- _anything_ that would provide what little comfort she could. She only managed to form part of a word with her mouth before her hand collapsed to the ground and her eyes closed shut.

A stab of overwhelming guilt mixed with anger filled Link at this sight before he too shut his eyes and, with Ganondorf's laughter still ringing in his ears, he faded into darkness.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

Ganondorf still kept laughing which only seemed to get much worse as the monster behind him seemed to copy him in a perfect synchronization. It was as if the laughter could be heard well across the world and could echo through the halls of time itself for all to hear.

"HA HA HA HA!" He laughed as he threw his arms out. "AT LAST! THE TRIFORCE AND ALL OF HYRULE IS MINE AT LAST!"

Ganondorf Dragmire- former leader of the Gerudo, King of Evil, and the reincarnation of Demise himself- had the Triforce in his possession and he had finally triumphed over those he sought to destroy.

* * *

 **Happy one year anniversary of Hyrule Warriors Warped.**

 **To be continued...**


	20. A spark of hope

**Random Swap Fan:** *Huge fish rises majestically out of the water like he was the Little Mermaid and proceeds to chase fishman down.*

The heaven gag is still one of my favorite bits to ever write out :D What are Bomb quarrels? Heh heh- I don't know who HMS is supposed to be and certainly not this one, though I suspect he is the equivalent of Loki or a trickster god.

And hey, thanks for the support. I enjoy your reactions to this chapter and I appreciate when you guys reach out and give support. (A dark part of me enjoyed what I did to Zelda in the last chapter too as a matter of fact. I'm glad I made you happy with that chapter.)

 **mysteriousguy898:** That was a one time thing, since the Flame of Despair has a direct connection to Zelda herself in the canon universe. The white mage thing might be somewhat of a reality in this chapter, as you will find out in the end (honestly, I thought what Zelda had to endure with the Master Sword was horrible for a number of reasons on it's own- notably the fact that it was Link and her own longtime sword- not to mention ancient companion- that gave her that horrible injury.)... And Aryll gets to have a few moments to shine in this chapter, so hopefully it turns out ok.

Also HMS isn't a major player, but he's like a commentator/narrator with questionable moral... kind of like Clopin from _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_ , now that I think of it. He could be a trickster god, but then again who knows the true nature of HMS?

Yes... It is good to be Ganondorf in this story MWUHHAHAHAHAHA!

 **PokemonTrainer4700:** Everyone seems to like it when I make my stories go dark but I think thats awesome (and I actually wanted to outdo what Fi did in SS in this story)! That episode was pretty good too (loved the gag with the dimension bubbles and the actor cameo). Is the great Devourer Cluthulu? I used to really like that movie and song, though I don't know how it would pertain to the events of Ch. 19.

 **HeroAlexa249:** I don't know if he'll show up again. It's like I told mysteriousguy898: he's like a commentator/narrator of questionable moral and not a major player.

 **You guys really liked the last few chapters and basked in the glorious evil and suffering that was inflicted. Now its time to set things right and see where our heroes are...**

* * *

 **Chapter 20: A spark of hope**

"Ughhhhh..." Impa got up and held her face in her hand when she awoke to a darkened night sky and a camp fire about a foot away from her. She rubbed her eyes as she tried to recall what happened- she saw Ganondorf laughing and he eventually had his monsters capture all of her men-

"Its good to see that you are awake, General." A deep voice greeted her. She quickly turned around to come face to face with an old foe that she had fought once or twice before and he regarded her with a strange calm that was briefly welcomed. "I'm afraid that I was only able to save you. The demon king still has your men in addition to the prince and the hero." Volga apologized.

The realization of her failure hit Impa hard to the point that she felt ill to the soul. Without any warning she let out an enraged cry that rumbled like an earthquake before raising to the pitch of a banshee and she grabbed her head in her hands and rocked back and forth. The dragon knight made no move to stop and respectfully looked at the fire as the general allowed her emotions to escape.

She not only failed to stop Ganondorf at the Valley of the Seers, but she also had to lose a second time while failing to protect Link or Zelda?! None of this was any fair for her or for Hyrule!

After minutes of struggling with her failure and trying to compose herself, she was able to take a few deep breaths and ask without looking "Why did you try to save us? After all that has happened?"

"I would rather stay out of the kingdom's affairs but I will not allow that monster to have control if it means complete destruction of our world." Volga replied. "I would have repaid a debt and saved the prince, but the demon king proved to be rather possessive of his most hated enemies."

"Where are they?" Impa demanded.

"That I cannot say." Volga responded. "But if you are daring enough to try to stop the evil king, then you may still have time. One of my followers have told me that Ganondorf is seeking all members of the Royal Family and will execute them. Another has said that he is preparing for some sort of ritual before he will use the Triforce. Either way, it does not bode well for this kingdom."

Impa sighed and drew her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around her- a trait that was not befitting of an honorable general. "Time is one thing that is not on our side." She then realized something and glanced at Volga. "Wait a moment! There may be something we can still do!"

 **-Valley of the Seers-**

With a final roar, Volga- in his true form as a dragon- tore at the boulders that separated Impa from the imprisoned army and they were flung across the air like common stones before crashing into fragments upon hitting the ground.

Impa waited until all the boulders were gone before she rushed to the mouth of the cave to the ruined fairy fountain. "Is anyone there?!" She demanded. "Liam?!"

"It's General Impa!" A hushed voice rasped out.

"Impa!"

"Lady Impa!"

Impa glanced into the darkened cave to get a better look; inside were many Gorons and Hylian knights who struggled to adjust to the source of light that came from the dragon's flames and into their prison and some looked starved and needed food to eat.

"M-my lady." The nearest knight struggled to crawl towards Impa. "W-we knew that you would come for us." He smiled as he gave her a shaky salute.

- _ **Later-**_

The Gorons struggled to get out of the cave and feasted upon the earth that surrounded the temple while their Hylian companions were forced to wait for Volga to deliver them an offering of food from elsewhere.

"So that is what happened." Geode's small moment of happiness and overwhelming relief died when he learned what had happened as Impa stared at the naginata that belonged to Koji, which was now in her hands. She tightened her grip on the weapon and rested her forehead against the handle as she recalled the young man who had served her and the Royal Family- the death that he and Orik suffered from was another senseless act of cruelty by Ganondorf's own hand.

"There is no way any of us will be in condition to fight at this moment." Geode regretfully told her. "We are grateful to be saved and I would do anything to ensure that the Gorons can aid you in stopping Ganondorf, but we are weak. We need to restore our energy to fight and be of use to you."

"What makes you so sure that we can win?" Impa asked as she lowered the weapon. "Ganondorf has the Triforce and could defeat us in an instant. You did not see what I had seen on the battlefield- you did not see what he did to Link and Zelda." Impa's hands tightened on the naginata. "I- what he-"

Geode stopped her by putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Maybe a little hope wouldn't hurt." Geode confessed. "Isn't that what stories tell us- to have hope despite all odds? That and I'll be a Dodongo's meal if I let Ganondorf get away with murdering my brother and all our comrades."

He reached down and held up a very familiar book. "Liam might have a clue as to how to stop him. He's the expert on the Triforce and time travel, isn't he?"

"Except he's nowhere to be found." Impa pointed out before her frown deepened. "Unless..." She stared at the book. "May I have that?"

Geode handed her the book and she carefully flipped through its pages while her facial expression changed from wonder to confusion and dread. "There's something wrong with this book. I can sense dark magic upon it like a curse or a spell. Such a thing couldn't be characteristic of Liam, even if he was once a part of Ceyia." She stared at the pages. "But to break it, we will either need to find Liam or find someone endowed with magic. Finding a common sorcerer would be impossible and especially after we sent out the word to evacuate Hyrule. The only other people I could think of are Vaati and the princess, but neither of them should still be here. I wasn't even told where Princess Aryll was being taken." She shut the book and sighed. "The longer we have to sit and wait, the sooner it will take for Ganondorf to accomplish his goal."

"Then it appears that fortune is in your favor, General Impa."

Impa glanced up to see that Volga had returned and was currently in his Hylian form. "I have seen a lone traveler upon horseback roaming the lands of Hyrule. They were heading towards the forest and I could sense strong magic within them."

 **-The woods-**

Saria panted as she held her staff out against the monsters that were ambushing her and her companions. They were completely surrounded and backed up against a large tree with little to no sign of an opening to escape from the encounter.

"Give it up, brat!" A poe hissed as his fellow creatures laughed and held their weapons out. "The army cannot help you now!"

"It hasn't even been a day and these beasts have reached the forests!" Ricky exclaimed as he put his fists up. "The forest is going to be overrun with them at this rate!"

"We won't be able to protect it!" Dimitri hissed as Moosh trembled next to him. "We'll die at this rate!"

"Don't say that!" Sunny cried out as she flew next to Saria. "We'll all go down fighting if we have to!"

 _This can't be happening._ Saria thought in despair as she prepared herself for the worst. _Is this some cruel prank by the Godesses?_

"May Ganondorf burn this forest to the ground and everyone within it!" The poe shrieked as he prepared a spell and raised a clawed hand up.

Seconds later he exploded in a burst of yellow and blue light that did not belong to him before he vanished out of existence. All of the creatures backed away in confusion and turned around to see a green figure on horseback shoot arrows out of a pair of cross-bows at them.

Saria took her chance and jumped ahead. She swung the staff into the nearest unsuspecting monster while the arrows belonging to the stranger hit a few more of them. In the midst of the chaos, Saria's animal companions quickly joined in and raced in to attack with all of their might.

As soon as the green hooded figure got close enough, she pulled the horse to a stop and quickly got off before running the rest of the way. The monsters approached her and she quickly shot at them- each arrow exploding in a burst of magic upon impact. She quickly shot at any airborne creatures before drawing one arm down to shoot at the nearest creature and then quickly side stepped and twirled away from a monster's dagger and shot a few more rounds.

"Get out and stay out!" Ricky charged up his fists and shot a tornado out at a few more monsters, while Moosh body slammed upon one and Dimitri bashed another with his head.

"Ha!" Saria sent out a wave of Deku Tree saplings and cleared a large path out for herself when they bashed into the monsters. A monster was about to rush in and stab her, but the hooded figure quickly moved her arm out to the side and shot it down.

"Retreat! Retreat!" A lizafoes hissed. "That is no ordinary warrior!" The others came to an agreement and rushed away, but not before the hooded figure quickly put a crossbow back onto a holding place on her boots, ran after one nearby bokoblin, and grabbed it by its clothes.

"Where is the Hylian Army?!" A female voice demanded as she aimed her remaining crossbow at the bokoblin's head. "Where did Ganondorf send them?!"

"They are imprisoned in the Eldin Caves near Hyrule Castle!" It shrieked. "They are to remain alive until they witness the demise of the Royal Family!"

The hooded figure was silent for a moment until she shot an arrow right into the monster's face and quickly let go of him while the magic consumed him. She glanced up to see the rest of the monsters getting farther and farther away before she turned to face a slightly horrified Saria and her companions. A few seconds passed before the shock wore off for the green haired girl when she realized who the person before her was.

"Ary-?!"

"Shhh!" The princess put a finger to her lips. "Don't use that name! You can call me- er-" She stumbled with this part. " Uh... Tetra? Marin... Link- Uh... Linkle!" She snapped her fingers. "Yeah, call me Linkle!"

"That... that's not a very original name." Ricky raised an unimpressed eyebrow at Aryll while the others shared similar opinions. "No offense Your H- I mean-"

"Its the best that I can do!" Aryll protested as she threw her hands up before putting the remaining crossbow on her free boot before heading back to a patient Epona.

"You shouldn't be here!" Saria frantically protested. "You heard what they said!"

"I know." Aryll agreed as she petted Epona's neck. "But I wanted to help out. I saw what happened out on the battlefield with my- with Link and the others." Her voice trembled and she stopped petting Epona as the memory came into her head. "I wanted to do something, but I couldn't. All I could think of was to try to get to the Valley of Seers to save Impa's men and the Gorons that Ganondorf imprisoned."

"I may not be an accomplished sorcerer like Vaati, but Hylia's blood flows within me." Aryll turned to Saria with a determined glint in her sea blue eyes. "So I have to be quick about this. Is there any way you can help me?"

"We can't." Dimitri answered for Saria. "Not everyone has evacuated in time. There are still many living creatures and citizens within this forest and we can't just abandon them."

This struck a nerve in Aryll, who flinched and bowed her head in shame. Did she really make the right decision? Would her people think that she abandoned her? She tried to compose herself and spoke " Well if-"

"HOLY MOTHER OF DIN!" Sunny suddenly yelled out in fear. "THAT'S A DRAGON!"

All heads glanced up in alarm to see that a dragon was quickly approaching them from above the dark night sky and was entering into the sea of trees.

"Is that... Volga?" Aryll wondered as they turned their heads to see the dragon fly upon a nearby gap of land before standing up right. A very familiar figure detached from his back and leapt off before standing up and looked at the group before noticing Epona. Her red eyes widened before they rested upon Aryll and she made the connection between rider and horse.

"So you haven't left Hyrule after all!" Impa hurried towards the princess and gave her a very stern look that made everyone else shiver- Impa was a general for a reason and to be on the reviving end of her anger was not a desirable outcome.

"And not help you?!" Aryll threw her hands out. "And I already know what you are about to say, so spare me the lecture!"

Impa stopped and stared at Aryll before crossing her arms to her chest and slapped a hand over her face. "By Farore I forget how much you two are alike." She muttered before she recalled why she was here and took out Liam's book. "Perhaps it was a good thing you stayed." She began to explain. "Liam may be of use to us, but we think there is a reason that a dark spell was cast upon this book. You are the only one who can break it, seeing as there aren't many magic users left in Hyrule."

Aryll gave the book a calculating look before slowly approaching Impa with an outstretched hand. The General handed the tome to Aryll, who opened its contents to a point in the middle and placed a hand upon it.

She could feel the darkness radiating out of the pages and she tried to imagine a sunrise that would overcome it while humming the song of the sun to help her. She could feel the light come out and it glowed on her hand as she tried to pierce through the darkness.

 _Who is this?!_ A voice that was hopeful yet slightly afraid demanded inside her head.

 _This is Princess Aryll._ She replied back in her head. _Is this Liam by any chance?_

 _Yes it isYour Highness!_ The voice happily replied back. _Please get me out of here!_

It felt as if another hand reached out to grab Aryll's and the light upon the pages grew bigger in response to it. She felt her hand sink into the book before she let the book drop to the ground while pulling out a figure from the light, who staggered when he finally reached his full height and almost collapsed into Aryll, but he quickly grabbed onto her shoulders for support.

"Liam!" Saria gasped as the light from the book vanished.

"You did it!" Liam let out a breathless laugh. In his excited state, he moved forward and kissed the princess upon her forehead before letting go and throwing his hands out. "I never hated books until Ganondorf sealed me in one!" He laughed as he spun around in joy and did a little dance as Aryll touched her forehead and blushed a little. "I still love them though!" He laughed again.

"Oh it's good to be back!" Liam let out a final breathless laugh before he realized that Impa and Volga were in front of him. He forced himself to come to a stop before he could began to speak, though he was still giddy from his freedom. "General Im-"

Impa's fist collided right into Liam's face and the sorcerer was knocked backwards.

All were rendered silent at the sudden action, except for Liam who was now gingerly nursing a bruise, Volga (who was already quiet was but not fazed by the surprise attack) and Moosh, who shivered as he said "Ok... she really scares me."

 **-The Eldin Caves-**

Those who were still alive from the battle against Ganondorf where trapped in the Eldin Caves where the heat from the lava worsened their spirits (which were low enough as they were). Without anyone to lead them or any hope in their hearts, they were left to contemplate their fate.

"So this is it." Aaron bitterly decided as he sat next to Kay, who was examining something purple in a small vial that he held onto. "Ganondorf wins and now we have to wait to die." He sighed as he rested against the bars of their large cell.

In another end of the cell, Pipit had his arms gently wrapped around Karane, who put her hands over them. "Sorry we never got around to that date." He apologized. "I'd make a joke about having a rain-check on that, but-"

"Hey its alright." Karane replied. "Maybe we'll still have a chance."

"And what is our chance?" A nearby Goose bitterly asked. "We have no chance."

"Hey don't say that!" Ashei grumpily snapped at Groose. "Weren't you supposed to be an optimist?"

"Its kind of hard to be an optimist when you see one of your friends impaled with their own weapon." He replied before his eyes drifted upward, as did a few others who heard him or else knew what he meant.

High over their heads was the Master Sword, which hung from chains attached to the ceiling. The chains were wrapped around the hilt and guard while the blade was still covered in the now dried up blood of its wielder. They should have been afraid that the sword could come loose from its binds and fall down on their heads, but the once mighty sword inspired different emotions.

"He leaves us her blade to remind us of his victory." Sir Winslow spoke with sorrow in his voice. "I fear the worst for Zelda and Link, though I think this was another way of taking his victory over us too far."

"How did he get the sword out?" Bethany asked. "I thought evil can't touch it."

"He forced me to do it."

All eyes turned to a female knight who looked to be in her mid-twenties and was known as Jayce. Her eyes were haunted and filled with guilt as she recalled the events. "He took the nearest knight and made me do it- made me pull it out of her like she was its pedestal." She began to tremble as she looked up at the sword. "She's young enough to be a sister or a daughter to any of us and he sees her as something to torment. I can't stop asking _why_ \- why did it have to be her?"

"Ganondorf doesn't care who is in his way." A knight bitterly replied. "A child, an old man, a small animal- he will never stop until he can accomplish his goal. Zelda and Link just had the luck of being on the top of the list of things that he hates."

Silence passed.

"What is that?" Aaron finally asked Kay in regards to the vial.

"Something that Rosette was trying to find when the timeline got messed up." Kay replied. "The Great Fairy's tears. It acts like a healing fairy and it can supposedly fix broken bones and replenish blood without needing a donor. She gave me a sample in case of-"

There was a strange sound that came from within one of the tunnels- it was like the monsters guarding the tunnels came across some sort of disturbance and were in the middle of an attack. Then there came an ominous roaring sound, following by another sound and a flash of red which was then followed by the sound of dying screams.

"The heck was that?" Bethany crawled to the bars and tried to get a closer look.

"Was...was that a dragon?" Another knight asked.

There was sounds of running footsteps and those who were closest to the bars watched to see who was coming. To their surprise it was none other than Liam and a girl in green who was at the front and held one crossbow out while putting another back on her leg.

"Liam?!" One of the knights exclaimed in confusion. "How did you-"

"Not now!" Liam readied a spell from his book and his free hand became covered in magical energy. "Get away from the bars!"

They all obeyed and he and sent a jolt of magic at the bars; the magic exploded like fireworks and caused the bars to melt away like candle wax.

"Good Nayru, what was that spell?!" A knight exclaimed as they all waited for the bars to melt away.

"Never mind that, we're here to rescue you guys!" The green clothed girl her put her other crossbow away and took out a familiar looking baton.

"Your Highness?" Sir Winslow asked.

"Are you here to rescue us?!" Groose asked hopefully.

"Yes!" Aryll quickly raised her baton, but Jayce quickly protested and pointed to the Master Sword. "Not without the Master Sword!" She told them.

Liam looked up and gasped at the sight. "So she was telling the truth." He couldn't help but speak out loud before he sent another spell at the chains that caused them to snap and the blade to fall down and land in the dirt. Without even hesitating, Jayce quickly reached out and grabbed the sword as Impa- who carried a slightly familiar naginata- joined them.

"General Impa!" Sir Winslow stood up and saluted Impa, who quickly demanded "Where are your weapons?!"

"I think they took them in another part of the cavern." Ashei replied.

"Good." Impa nodded before turning to Aryll. "Send them to the Valley of the Seers!"

"Right!" Aryll nodded as Liam hurried out of the cell before conducting a spell with the baton. An otherworldly, nonexistent choir suddenly echoed out four notes before a large tornado appeared in the cell and engulfed the army in gusts of wind and thick clouds before it vanished along with the rest of the army.

"Now for the weapons!" Liam rushed down the tunnel and Impa and Aryll quickly followed suit.

"Come on, come on!" Liam pleaded as he kept his eyes open and sent spells out at any monster who came in his way. Finally he came upon a large chamber where several Hylian weapons could be seen. "Oh thank Din!" He came to a stop and glanced over to where Aryll and Impa emerged. "Do it again!"

Aryll readied the baton and repeated what she did before by sending the weapons to the Valley of Seers.

"Its the princess!" The trio turned around to see that a poe had found them and was pointing at Aryll. "She was here all along!" It shrieked.

Impa let out a curse and made to rush at the poe, but it was too late as the poe vanished before she could attack.

"This is bad." Liam panicked. "If Ganondorf gets Aryll, then we might not be able to find Link and Zelda in time. That poe probably knows where we're hiding-"

Without any warning, both Liam and Impa saw the magical gusts of wind and clouds were now surrounding them. Within seconds, they vanished from the caves and only Aryll was left behind.

"Sorry." She quickly apologized as she turned and hurried out. She acted on a choice and an instinct that she knew was the right one- if she had been with Impa and the others, than Ganondorf would not hesitate to come after them. Now she needed to somehow make it so that Ganondorf would turn his attention onto her so that they could find her brother and Zelda.

She came out into the largest area of the caves, where the dragon was still attacking his opponents by breathing fire at them. To no surprise, the poe spotted her and let out a command to the others to go after her.

"Volga!" Aryll yelled and waved her arms. "We did it, let's get out of here!"

The dragon was able to notice the young princess; he ceased fighting and flew towards Aryll, who allowed herself to be snatched up by one of his clawed hands. With a mighty roar, the dragon flew towards one of the tunnels that led to the outside.

"One more thing, one more thing!" Aryll took out a crossbow and quickly pulled out a bomb arrow from her bag. She quickly lit the fuse with a fire magic incantation before she took aim.

"Ten seconds!" She yelled in determination before shooting the arrow.

The bomb upon the arrow grew in size but it quickly left her view as Volga bursted out of the tunnel before flying high into the night sky.

Aryll held onto Volga for dear life before glancing back towards the cavern, which was rapidly growing smaller as she was taken up into the sky. She hadn't done as much as Link in her small adventure, but she felt that her contribution was enough to make a difference for the others.

Seconds later a deep explosion erupted from within the cave and Aryll could only assume that the arrow was able to destroy the tunnel and trap the monsters inside for a brief time.

"What is your command, Princess of Hyrule?" Volga's voice came out in a deep rumble that was mightier than his human voice.

"They know that I am with you now and my people will be in danger if I re-join them!" Aryll yelled. "Go wherever you desire and get us as far away from the Valley of Seers as possible! We have to buy them time to find my brother!"

"Then it shall be done. I shall aid you as the great Volvagia had aided your ancestors in the past."

Accepting her possible fate, Aryll glanced up into the sky and the pale moon that dwelled within it. "Please be safe big brother, wherever you are." She softly pleaded before pulling out a gossip stone to send a message to Linebeck.

And so, the mighty dragon and descendant of Volvagia carried off the young princess to somewhere where she could be safe for the time being.

 _ **-the following morning-**_

All the knights of Hyrule were mostly recovered, as were the Gorons who had eaten until their bellies were about to burst. The reunions were as happy as they were bittersweet and there was still an air of uncertainty that refused to leave them. Epona- the horse used by both royal siblings- had been sent to them and was being tended to by one of the Hylian knights.

Jayce finished cleaning the last of the blood from the Master Sword with a rag and gently held it out to examine the blade as others watched on.

"I see weapons as our protectors." She gently began. "I myself am a weapon of Hyrule, but I chose to continue to be so if only to protect my daughter." She closed her eyes at the memory of her child. "My Isobel is now somewhere across the sea with her grandmother while I chose to take a risk and help put an end to Ganondorf."

"If I had been forced to hurt my Isobel, I would never be able to forgive myself." She continued. "I don't know if you are still alive or if you can hear me, but I can only imagine the pain and anguish you went through at the moment you pierced through your wielder. Whatever happens, I beg you- please continue to help us in the battle against Ganondorf. Help us so that my daughter can have a future if I cannot live to see her again. If you feel any anger towards us, please put it aside for all of our sakes and lend us your strength for one last time."

Jayce slowly got back up and presented the sword to Impa, who held her hand up in protest. "If you can touch the sword without injury, than it would be best that you present him to his true owner."

Jayce's eyes widened in surprise but she nodded and returned to her belongings to wrap the sword up in cloth as a makeshift sheath.

"So how can we stop Ganondorf?" Ashei wondered. "There has to be a way to stop him, yeah?"

"Yeah, Mr. History man!" A Goron turned to Liam. "You know all about the history of Hyrule! There has to be something about Ganondorf or the Triforce that involves a weakness or a loop hole, right? Isn't that how it always goes?"

Liam hesitated for a moment as the pressure was now upon him. All eyes were upon him as he tried his best to think back of all that he knew about Hyrule and its history, but he could barely come up with anything that could be similar to their situation with a guarantee of success.

 _This cannot be._ He grew frustrated at himself. _I know almost everything about Hyrule thanks to the powers of time itself, but I can't even figure this puzzle out! If I can't help Zelda with this, than what good am I?_

"I don't know if there is any way we can stop Ganondorf now that he has the Triforce." Liam finally confessed. "It is possible if we have the Master Sword and the Bow of Light, but we have neither of the appropriate wielders."

"Then we're really in it deep." Karane sighed in depression. "You might as well have said to get ready to join the re-deads."

"It's not just that." Liam added. "Fi and Midna's presence helped make his victory possible. I need to send them back to their respective eras if we want to increase our chances."

"And what makes you think that we have a chance?!" A knight demanded. "Even with Link and Zelda, we were way too outnumbered in every sense of the word! They don't even have the Triforce-!"

"Did the first hero use the Triforce when she defeated Demise?" Liam countered. "True, he did not have it and he was not at full power, but she did. The Hero of Twilight was not able to defeat the Twilight Princess without help, and the Hero of Time was still able to make sacrifices and press on, despite overwhelming odds and the loss of her closest friends and companions. There has never been a case where the hero was able to do something on their own without help. That is what we are here for- we are here to help Zelda and save our kingdom. In a way, we all make a contribution to help Hyrule, whether we are a small child, a merchant, mapmaker, fairy, or the most annoying thing you can think of. We have to find Link and Zelda and show that we have not given up just yet!"

He realized something- maybe there was an answer hiding in what he just said. It couldn't be possible, but it gave him some hope.

"He's right." All eyes glanced upward to see a familiar fairy flying down towards them.

"Where the heck have you been?!" Geode demanded to Proxy.

"Trying to find where Zelda and Link are!" Proxy huffed. "You can't honestly expect that I would abandon her, would you? Anyway I was going to tell you all that Zelda literally dove into the sky for her men in the Era of the Sky instead of waiting for the Great Fairy to help out because she didn't want to abandon you guys for all you did." Proxy said.

"We worked together to save her when Ceiya held her prisoner." Bethany added. "Being kidnapped twice sounds like a hassle and I'd rather put an end to that for her."

"All the help our companions in the past have done for us will have amounted to nothing if we let Ganondorf win." Ashei added in. "I'd rather go down fighting instead of the coward's way."

"But we don't even know where either of them are." Groose pointed out to Liam. "I mean, you might know so what do you say?"

The sorcerer pondered for a moment before his eyes widened in realization. "Ganondorf chose to claim the desert for himself as his first target." He turned to Proxy. "Could it be that-?"

"The desert is filled with an awful lot of monsters." Proxy admitted. "And I did catch a word that Midna and Fi are stationed there and are guarding something or someone important. It would have to be either Link or Zelda, if I had to make a guess."

"Then its settled!" Liam clapped his hands together. "We are all going to the desert to try to put a stop to Midna and Fi if we can't save Link and Zelda."

"But what about Ganondorf?" Sir Winslow inquired. "He may have a plan to use the Triforce and it would be best to keep an eye on him."

"I will go." Impa stood up. "If any of you wish to join me, I will only accept a few members."

"I will join you." Ashei stepped forward.

"As will I." Sir Winslow also stepped forward. Five more knights also offered their aid to Impa, who stopped at the total number of seven knights.

"I'm going to the desert." Groose turned to Liam. "I want to try to find Zelda and Link."

"Same here." Bethany happily raised her hand up into the air.

"The Gorons should be able to handle the desert." Geode said. "We are resistant to heat, so we'll be able to last longer out there."

"That is a good plan." Liam agreed.

"Its not going to be enough." Kay looked at their numbers. "The best fighters will have to try to confront Midna and Fi while the others take care of the minions. We would need a lot more help if we wanted a guaranteed victory-"

"Which is why we need to be quick." Liam agreed. "If they won't defeat us, then the heat of the desert will certainly overcome us."

 _ **-?-**_

He felt like as if the world was swirling around him while he was sick to his stomach. Kind of like after spending too much time with Groose and the others at the tavern but much worse than that.

The first thing that greeted him when he awoke was darkness before he flipped over and saw that he could see the gapping mouth of some sort of cave from which sunlight poured into by about a foot or two. Wherever he was, there appeared to be sand on the ground; that provided his only clue to his location.

He groaned as he struggled to push himself off the ground before he realized that his body felt impossibly normal as if he hadn't had his arm and ankle broken by Ganondorf's magic.

Then he realized why he was here and what had happened before he lost consciousness- Ganondorf won, took the Triforce, and seriously injured Zelda before his very eyes before forcing him to injure her with her own sword. This caused all his sickness to vanish and be replaced with an overwhelming rage that came with little encouragement.

He let out a horrible, monstrous sound from deep in his being and punched the cave wall as hard as he could before punching it several times while letting out a stream of curses and ignoring the throbbing protests in his fist.

"THAT RELENTLESS SON OF A RE-DEAD!" He screamed. "I'M GOING TO FIND HIM AND RIP HIS LIMBS OFF! I'M GOING TO BASH HIS HEAD IN AND FEED HIS GUTS TO THE WOLFOS! AND THEN I'M GOING TO BURN HIS REMAINS INSIDE THE HEART OF DEATH MOUNTAIN!"

He let out one more curse and stopped punching the wall as exhaustion came over him. His anger still lingered as he rested against the wall, but he tried to force himself to think about what had happened to get to this point. Where was he? Where was Zelda? Where were the others?

"Zelda!" He gasped as he rummaged through his possessions but couldn't find the gossip stone he now tried to carry around ever since the battle with Ceyia. He cursed again and punched the wall- of course Ganondorf would of had his stuff taken away.

"Sorry, but Ganondorf has her locked away somewhere close by."

He quickly turned around to see two familiar faces looking at him from outside the cave- the former Twilight Princess and the former servant of Demise. One continued to wear that annoying blank stare while the other had a sickeningly smug smile that made him want to punch it off.

Knowing what they had done and seeing them look so sickeningly triumphant rekindled the violent flame of hatred inside him. His vision briefly turned red and let out a monstrous sound before forcing himself to get up and dash towards them. "I'M GOING TO-!"

He had just managed to reach the mouth of the cave when he was struck by a sudden sensation, like his skin was touching something hot and burning him alive.

"AAYYYYAGGH!" He screamed as he shut his eyes and clawed his face as he fell to the ground, but the burning sensation still continued. It wasn't until he forced himself back into the cave that the burning suddenly stopped, but he could not stop the twitching spasms that came from the pain when he collapsed onto the ground and his ears were filled with the sound of his flesh and clothes sizzling as if-

No... no it _couldn't_ be.

He opened his eyes and lifted a shaking, dark splotched covered hand with long claw like nails; both hand and arm let out familiar smoke from the injuries.

"Did you think it would be that easy?" Midna asked as she held up a very familiar mirror. "Some monster wizard turned into a traitor against Ceyia and blabbed to Ganondorf about you using this artifact and the negative effects it had on you."

Link- or Shadow as he was known in his current form- panted as he glared up at the two of them with twitching red eyes that were filled with an intense hatred.

"I actually like you better this way myself." Midna added as she put the mirror on the ground and gently nudged it into the shadows of the cave. "The version of you that I knew could have used a bit of your personality and colorful vocabulary."

"Where is she?" Shadow let out a low, menacing hiss. _"Where is she?!"_

"She is not as far from here as you may think." Fi finally spoke in in that annoying monotone of a voice that was driving him insane. "You could be able to rescue her if you wish. However, your current condition will not allow you to survive for very long. Without the prolonged durability that could have been offered by the Triforce of Wisdom, I estimate that it would take less than five minutes before you burn to death in the sunlight."

"And if you can try to change back then think again." Midna smirked. "Your real body is too damaged to be of any use to you and we took away all of your possessions. You can either burn to death by the sun or drag yourself across the sands and be at the mercy of our underlings."

"WHERE IS ZELDA?!" Shadow screamed.

"Oh speaking of which, I think she owes us for the grief she caused us in our past encounters." Midna turned to Fi with a smile that did not sit well with Shadow. "Come on Fi, lets leave this idiot." She placed an arm around Fi's shoulder and the two left the mouth of the cave. "Ah, wait a minute." She summoned something out and tossed something at Shadow, which landed a few inches away from him, before she and Fi continued their journey.

His eyes widened upon seeing the brooch that adorned the end of Zelda's long flowing hair. There were still quite a few short hairs attached upon it from where it had been cut off from its owner.

Shadow screamed all kinds of profanity imaginable as he crawled towards the mouth of the cave as much as the safety of the darkness could allow him to. "I'M GOING TO MAKE IT SO THAT YOUR FUTURES ARE ERASED FROM HISTORY! MAGGOTS WILL COME AND EAT YOUR BRAINS AND EYES OUT! YOU'LL-"

As if his strength had just then been completely sapped, Shadow collapsed to the ground with his body still shaking from his burns.

 **-Arbiter's Grounds. Formerly known as the Spirit Temple-**

Both Fi and Midna entered the once sacred grounds that belonged to the Gerudo Tribe. Long ago it became a prison to the worst criminals that Hyrule had ever known- now it housed one special prisoner.

Across the round structure, upon a large stone rock, was a series of chains that wrapped around one young woman. Her legs and good hand were cuffed, while the chains were wrapped around certain parts of her body to keep her in place while still keeping her suspended a foot off the ground. Her once noble attire was stained with grime and the blood from her own wounds- particularly around where she had been stabbed by her own sword and around her broken wrist. Even her long flowing hair was stained by her own blood.

As Midna and Fi approached her, she struggled to lift her head up to face them. Though her body was weak and her face devoid of emotion, her eyes burned with an intense anger as well as a relentlessness that showed that she was still alive in spirit.

"Ganondorf wants you alive, so we won't kill you." Midna examined her hand, which tightened into a fist. "He didn't say anything about making you suffer though."

In a blink of an eye, Midna pulled her fist back and slammed it into Zelda's stomach. The prisoner let out a sharp gasp when she was struck and it took everything to suppress the discomfort.

"That's the first of for what happened when you were still the Zelda I knew." Midna repeated the gesture, but this time she slammed her fist into Zelda's eye. The girl was able to close it in time, but it still wasn't enough to stop the pain or keep her from crying out. This was enough to encourage Midna to punch the barely healed wound from where Zelda had been stabbed and increased the cries of their prisoner.

Midna paused turned to Fi. "Say- don't you have anything you'd like to do to her?"

Fi's wordless response was to summon out her sword.

"So I guess its punching and stabbing." Midna mused as Fi readied her sword. "Give me a minute to think about how to improve on this- and try not to make it fatal." She told Fi.

Without any warning, Zelda suddenly let out a weak giggle. She raised her head up- her skin around her eye was already beginning to darken and swell- and croaked out:

"You can stab me a thousand times, punch me several times over, stop the injuries and repeat the process again, and you still won't be able to destroy me." She snorted as she threw her head back. "Ceiya was scarier than the two of you combined. Ganondorf scared me- and you both say that you'll just let me live?"

"Boasting is not going to be of use to you." Fi cautioned.

"And you know, the sad thing is that both of you had the potential to be better than this." Zelda added, not caring that she was going to die anymore. " _Ganondorf_ could have had potential to be better than this. Instead you chose a different path and all you have now is a doomed road to tread- a road where you are all blind to the obstructions in your way. No wonder you all were beaten by me in the past life-"

Fi sent her blade right through Zelda's shoulder and the girl was cut off by her own scream.

 **-?-**

"Zelda..." Shadow slowly panted while he examined the brooch in his limp hand. Overwhelming guilt flooded inside him and his red eyes reflected this and more as they gazed upon the stone of the precious brooch. Despite his now monstrous form, the sorrow of the darker version of Link was all too human and twice as deep as when he would have still been whole.

Whatever was happening to her now might as well have been his fault and not Ganondorf's or his underlings.

His fingers slowly curled over the metal and the stone before he curled himself up into a ball and remained like that for a few seconds until something inside him reached the breaking point as he came to a realization. When he did, he chuckled.

"Heh heh- heh heh heh heh!" His chuckles became more frantic. "Eh-heh heh heh heh heh!"

"You took the Triforce-" He began as his body slowly uncurled and his voice became more confident "-you took my kingdom. You forced me to send my people and my sister out of their homes. You killed a _lot_ of people-" He took a deep breath before his red eyes narrowed angrily in the dark "-You do _not_ let _my_ princess get hurt by my hand or anyone else's and expect to get away with all of this!"

Shadow grabbed the mirror and reattached it to his belt before he forced himself to get up and slammed his back against the wall. "And you also made one _incredibly_ stupid mistake, Ganondorf!" Shadow laughed as he stared at the mouth of the cave. "You gave me a body that isn't broken! The prince might be a weakling in every sense of the word, but his shadow is twice as selfish, reckless, and stubborn as he is!"

He braced himself as he glanced at the brooch in his hand one last time. "I'm coming for you, Princess. Just hang on a little longer." He swore before he put the brooch somewhere safe in his tunic. With one final deep breath, the dark incarnation of Link pushed away from the wall and ran out into the dreaded sunlight as fast as he could.

* * *

 **I spelled it right this time, right?**

 **Also- SHADOW'S BACK! If Sheik can appear in this level, than so can he!**

 **These last few chapters have been depressing... Wait I know! Outtakes! Outtakes from certain chapters that I wasn't able to do, due to timing!**

* * *

 _ **Outtake 1 (dedicated to mysteriousguy898)**_

 _ **Oh yeah, there was that thing.**_

"No, no, NO!" Liam summoned up a storm of magical energy that surrounded him. "I can't let you have it!" Ganondorf's response was to send a sword up and he began to charge up a ball of yellow energy that Liam was quick to recognize. It was a favorite of Ganondorf's that would be used against him if one possessed a specific sword that Liam did not own.

Wait a minute-

To Ganondorf's shock, Liam pulled something out that was able to knock the yellow ball away with it. "What the-?!" To his greater shock, said object turned out to be nothing more then a common bug catching net.

"Also this!" Liam quickly summoned out a fishing pole of all things and held it up.

"...What... what are you doing?" Ganondorf asked as he stared in confusion at the fishing pole. Instead of responding, Liam slowly waved the fishing pole from side to side.

"This is my fishing pole. I call him Mr. Loki."

Ganondorf continued to keep staring at the pole, unaware that Liam was slowly approaching him and creating a strong magical current that ran through the bug catching net. The second he was close enough, he brought the neck down over Ganondorf's head and sent out the shock wave.

 **-later-**

"And thanks to the cheap logic of this world, I was able to use Mr. Loki and Mr. Loop-Hole to save Hyrule!" Liam clapped his hands together for dramatic effect as he recounted the tale to Link and Zelda. "Oh, and I also had help with Mr. Cheap!" he held up an empty bottle. "He was strong enough to bash Ganondorf over the head with!"

"I guess... the Master Sword isn't the only thing that can defeat Ganondorf after all." A stunned Zelda could only comment.

Liam was unaware of two things. One- he would have been badly burned if he touched the Master Sword from now on. Two- somewhere in heaven, a certain fairy companion was repeatedly slamming his head into the wall out of frustration.

* * *

 _ **Outtake 2.**_

 _ **Meanwhile in Hyrule's equivalent Heaven (or whatever the reader believes in)-**_

Nabooru sighed as she played a card game with Koji and Orik. "I guess it'll be awhile before Ganondorf kicks the bucket. That is, if he doesn't get imprisoned for a century like last time. How do you think we should get back at him?"

"That's a tough one." Orik admitted as he examined his cards. "I would bash his face in if it were me."

"Invoke forbidden Sheikah torture on him." Koji replied. "You'd be surprised what we used to do back then."

"You know if it were me, I'd force him to watch awful animated mock buster films." Din suggested from high up on her couch as she and her sisters watched the film that Gary the TV was playing at that moment. "Look at all the ones they had in the 90's- you got a gold mine to chose from! And its not just Disney that they ripped off, but their source material gets ignored-"

"What the heck are you talking about?" Nabooru asked as she and the others looked up in confusion. "And what's Disney?"

"What are you- oh." Farore sighed in depression. "Right, this isn't a filler chapter. Anything non-Zelda related isn't supposed to make sense."

"Say, I hear HolyMaiden24 is looking forward to the live-action Disney _Beauty and the Beast_ film coming out soon." Nayru turned to Farore. "So you know what'll cheer you up?" She took a deep breath and sang:

" _Nooooo ooooone- sucks like Ganon, kills of favorite characters like Ganon."_

" _When it comes to *CENSOREDDUETOGRAPHICNATURE* like Ganon!"_ Din belted.

"Alright, what are they singing?" Koji asked the others, who could only shrugged while the Goddesses sang their rendition of 'Gaston.'

* * *

 _ **Outtake 3.**_

 **Butterfly Effect?**

"Oh speaking of which, I think she owes us for the grief she caused us in our past encounters." Midna turned to Fi with a smile that did not sit well with Shadow. "Come on Fi, lets leave this idiot." She placed an arm around Fi's shoulder and the two left the mouth of the cave. "Ah, wait a minute." She summoned something out and tossed something at Shadow, which landed a few inches away from him, before she and Fi continued their journey.

 **-Meanwhile in the canon universe of Hyrule Warriors-**

"So I said 'Well fine! Don't take a bath and get that dog scent off of you! Its not like people will think you are a wolf even in Hylian form!'" Midna concluded a tale that made Link and Zelda laugh while Fi silently listened and observed how the tale had an effect on the hero and the princess.

Midna's own laughter was cut short by her violently flinching and looking as if something horribly awful had just occurred to her.

"Midna?" Link asked in concern. "Is something wrong?"

"I just felt as if I did something _really_ bad." She answered.

"You just admitted that the Link from your era didn't always have time to get a bath." Zelda pointed out (while blushing at the implication of her words.) "Surely that's all-"

"No, it's like I-" Midna stammered "It's like I did something and I don't know what it is, but I feel ashamed of myself for it.'"

"I too feel the same." Fi added. "Its as if I had done something that goes against my duty and is unsatisfactory. No- it is as if I should be what you would refer to as 'being ashamed of myself."

A silence fell amongst the four.

"Ah, its probably nothing." Midna smirked and waved it off. "Ok, so where was I?"

* * *

 _ **Outtake 4. (the lost outtake from chapter 13)**_

 **CEYIA YOU IDIOT!**

"Anger... sorrow... guilt." He quietly whispered, before he raised the staff up. "All that which you tried to suppress towards them all... you are now free to let them g-!"

Ceyia accidentally tripped and instead of sending out the spell he intended at Zelda, another spell came out. He was able to catch himself in time, but it was too late- he realized he made a big mistake in ruining the spell.

"...Crud-buckets."

 **-minutes later-**

Throughout the Temple of Souls, both sides were desperately trying to hide from the abominations that Ceyia had set free from Zelda.

"Oh Goddesses." Impa trembled as she tried to compose herself, while she and the others hid in a room. "Anything- anything but THAT!"

"Uh, Impa?" A knight asked.

"THE MEMORIES!" Impa panicked as she tore at her hair. "ALL THE MEMORIES I TRIED TO SUPPRESS ARE COMING BACK!"

"So," Bethany asked Ghirahim as they and more knights hid behind a statue "Did you have to serve... uh..."

"No because- one- I never had and second- _why the **** would I?_!" He hissed.

In the gardens, Link and Ganondorf just nervously stared at each other.

"Even here." Link began. "Even _here_ we're not safe from any of it."

"The constant reminders will never stop." Ganondorf agreed. "Why in Din's name would Ceyia torment us so?"

A shadow loomed over Ganondorf and Link turned pale at the sight. "What, what is it?" Ganondorf turned around- only to come face to face with an unholy terror.

"Gah, back away you foul creature!" He kept his sword out while he and Link made a run from the orange haired purple and white clothed female.

"KEEP AWAY!" Impa screamed as she and the others made a run for it. "YOU'RE UNDOING YEARS OF THERAPY!"

"Good!" Her tormenter let out a sadistic grin.

"IT'S NOT CANON, BUT WE SURE AS HELL AREN'T GOING TO TAKE OUR CHANCES!" Bethany screamed as she and the others also made a run to get away from the stationary figure..

"IT'LL CHASE US DOWN AND CONSUME OUR SOULS!" Groose also screamed.

As all the monsters and knights abandoned the temple- and left the original Zelda behind- Liam stared at Ceiya with a mix of confusion, dread, disgust and annoyance.

"Let me guess: Cartoon Zelda, CD-I Zelda, and the Beth Drowned statue."

"Yes." Ceiya admitted.

There was a pause.

"We have _standards_ for Din's sake!" Liam yelled. "Are you really _that_ desperate and obsessed with-"

" _Good Goddesses no_!" Ceiya shuddered and protested. "It was an accident!"

* * *

 **AND FINALLY...**

 _ **-Outtake 5.-**_

 **-Sigh... I had to jinx it, didn't I?-**

"At last... all three pieces." He willed the artifact to come out and it came out of his hand to hover in front of him as it shone in all its glory. Seeing it like this made him fully realize what he had managed to do after all these eras and the knowledge slowly began to effect him.

"Heh." He chuckled as he allowed his magic to flare out in red and black flames, which felt stronger than they ever had before. The ground began to shake as the flames increased and he curled his hands into fists as his chuckles turned into a low, deep laugh. "Ha ha-"

Without any warning, something red and green swiftly flew by and took the Triforce away from Ganondorf's grasp. If it wasn't the moment where Ganondorf realized that he had been robbed of the Triforce that made him angry, then it was the sound that came at that exact moment.

The sound that identified the thief was this:

"Tingle, Tingle, Kooloo-Limpah!"

"Wowie!" A man in green ridding an air balloon eyed his triangular prize in great delight. "This will certainly make Tingle into a fairy!"

"THAT ****ING MAPMAKER TOOK THE TRIFORCE FROM ME?!" Ganondorf screamed.

As Ganondorf had a dangerous fit over his loss, one of his victims at his feet let out a weak laugh.

"Heh, heh, heh- Oh Nayru, that was worth it!" Link let out a chuckle. "Heh heh- heh-hey Zelda!" He turned to the other victim. "You saw that right?"

Zelda turned her head to face Link. "I- have a- sword lodged- through me- right- now." She struggled to reply in a weak voice. "Y-you think- I'd _care_?"

* * *

 **By the way, I really am looking forward to the Disney live action Beauty and the Beast. The original is my favorite Disney movie ever, so I hope they do a good job- that and I hope for a trailer that shows more than what was in the teaser by the time this fic is over.**

 **Though I'm worried about how they'll pull off the non-human characters. Worst case scenario is that they'll look REALLY weird.**

 **Also I MIGHT have recently seen some reviews on those old mock buster animated films on youtube ( the reviewer in particular is known as Phelous) and some memories came back. Ah the downsides to being an ignorant child in the 90s and not knowing any better.**


	21. A link to the future

**mysteriousguy898: CD-I and cartoon jokes are stale now, but I think the gag is more 'would Ceiya REALLY be that obsessed?' (Actually there is a HW comic that pokes fun at this idea that you might have seen.) Shadow is NOT having a good day in this chapter, but- well, you'll see what happens. I think that Link's flaws are that he can be reckless and a tad arrogant and of course those amplify in Shadow to the point that he gives a rude gesture to the sun and goes off to save the girl.**

 **There is NOTHING in Shadow's mirror at the moment, except for his original body. Midna gave it to him to be a jerk and offer two options that would not work in his favor either way. Unless he can get into the Spirit Temple/Arbiter's Grounds before his body burns away, then he is still pretty much screwed with the better of the two options.**

 **Ugh... damn those would have been horrible if Ceyia unleashed all that you suggested. That would make a good fan-fic for someone to do.**

 **Hero Alexa249: I'm really glad that I gave Volga a bigger role in that chapter. I'll probably be crying too, but I think it would be a mix of happiness, sadness, and relief over the fact that I got it done. Ganondorf still messed up in this story and of course this might be addressed. YES! They are making a live action version! Have you seen the new poster yet! I WANT TO SEE THE CHARACTERS! (Thankfully there is going to be a sneak peak when they re-release the blu-ray for the animated version in September, which I predict will get on the internet.)**

 **Random Swap Fan: *pops up in water alongside you* You must organize an army of cleaning sea creatures to help you out next time. And go on a quest to find the ultimate bottle of stain-and-dirt-removal. :D**

 **Originally he and Zelda would communicate through the gossip stone and when he tried (and failed) to get out of the cave, they would be all 'Sorry Princess, but I guess you had me this whole time' and THEN cue the 'OH CRAP! (for them)/HALLELUJAH! (me and the others)' moment.**

 **We'll see what Aryll is up to when we get a chance. Shadow doesn't need to have a heart attack to go with the hell he's going through right now. (I know that the song will be included and there is a clip of Luke Evans singing it with Hugh Jackman, though he's not as much of a baritone as Richard White. Oh God, I can't believe I actually made that joke. Josh Gad sings it in a certain clip you can find on the internet when he was still on set, but... uh, hopefully he'll do it differently. I can't believe how many Gaston ytp's use that song :D) Also, Vaati will make an appearance in the next chapter, if all goes according to plan.**

 **Let me get those goods to Shadow. *Get's Shadow to come in.***

 **Shadow: Oh thanks. *Happily accepts the some of the sun protection goodies. Midna's cannon shots a lazer and causes the goods to explode.* DAMNIT! WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING?!**

 **Me: He really does appreciate it. Fate's just being a jerk to him right now.**

This was kind of an important chapter so I tried to give it my all. There was a lot that I wanted to do, but some it will have to be saved for later because the events here didn't seem to have a logical place to fit them in.

Funny story about this chapter in real life:

*FLASHBACK TO A FEW WEEKS AGO*

Me: Alright, lets play this level to refresh my memory and come up with ideas. *sees that game is downloading or updating something* Uh, ok then.

Game: YOU GOT MEDLI!

Me: What the-? But I don't own Hyrule Warriors Legends! How did this happen?! This is like when that space with Fi and the Imprisoned's was magically cleared after several failures!

Medli: *poofs into existence* Hello!

Me: *freaks out* AGH! I don't know how to put you in my fanfic! What do I do with you?!

* * *

 **Chapter 21: A Link to the future**

By the time Fi and Midna had their fill of punishing Zelda and left her to attend other matters, she could barely register what was around her anymore, besides the damage that had been inflicted or that the world seemed to swim in her good eye due to how much blood she had lost. There was more blood on her clothes and her skin was a pale white from the lack of that precious red life force that should have flowed inside her. Her face bore tear streaks from her torture and one eye was swollen to the point that she couldn't see anything out of it and when she tried to take a breath, she ended up spitting blood out of her mouth in the process; She wasn't aware where that mix of saliva and blood landed and she didn't care.

She wanted so badly to just fall asleep and succumb to the darkness. She couldn't feel much in her arms anymore and everything stung or throbbed while the sun was slowly giving the air an unbearable high temperature. Sleep would have preferable to this wretched state she was in.

Why did it have to be her? What did she do to deserve this? Did she do something terrible in another life? Was this her punishment? Why would Hylia select her soul to be the one to go through all this torture? Was this because she had a moment of fear before facing Ganondorf? Was this because she had been granted too many favors in this life? Why did she feel as if she couldn't let herself die when she also wanted to just escape the torment that she had to go through?

" _You have a lot of guts to be able to talk back to them. I would have done the same if it had been me."_

She moved her head up to see someone standing in front of her and though the world was spinning in a haze he remained clear and defined. For one moment she thought it was Liam due to his blue hair, but then she saw that the eyes were not the same color–that and there was something vaguely familiar about him even though she never saw him before. The overwhelming concern in his eyes felt familiar, and his voice felt as if she knew it by heart, but why?

He sighed and moved a little closer to Zelda. _"You're still the same girl I helped out all those centuries ago, no matter which form or personality you take. You keep suffering and yet you still seem to want to hang on and keep going."_

A name came to Zelda as something buzzed in the back of her head, like a memory that had been locked away. "I-" she struggled to speak. "I...Iv...va..n?"

The man broke into a small smile and seemed pleased at her guess. _"I look different without the glowing light or the wings, but yeah its the very same; I guess my Zelda was still hoping I'd show up, otherwise you wouldn't have known who I was. Or maybe its just an instinct or good guesswork."_

"H-" She struggled to speak. "H...how c- can- I-?"

" _Speak to me if I've been dead for a few centuries?"_ Ivan laughed. _"Yeah, I would have struggled to deal with something that when I was alive- I would have asked so many questions until just thinking about it would hurt my brain."_

" _The truth is that you're pretty close to death's door and- well, there's three ladies up there who owe me a favor. I really wanted to have a chance to speak with you, but I wish it didn't have to be like this- not at one of the lowest points of your life. You still have a chance to avoid dying from blood loss, but the clock is still ticking."_

Zelda didn't know how to respond; especially if it took whatever strength she had to just be able to speak.

" _I can't predict the future, so I don't know what happens next."_ Ivan confessed. _"If you want, you can go up now and join the others. However,"_ He gently cupped Zelda's chin with his hand and looked her in the eye. _"I have a strong feeling that you are destined to surpass your previous incarnations-including the Zelda that I knew. You are going to be the one to show Ganondorf that having the Triforce does not make one invincible."_

"I... I'm n-not li-like them." Zelda tried to protest. "N-never...no t-trials or d-dung-geons. No big m-monsters. U- used Trif-force... re-relied on a-allies-"

" _Going through dungeons and defeating monsters toughens you up and makes you smarter, but that doesn't mean that they give you what you already possess._ " Ivan replied. _"There is far more to you than what you believe and no matter what they think of you, you are not just some beautiful face that can cause a war, nor are you a tool to the Gods. Ganondorf learned from his past experiences, but you also have a knowledge of the past from your studies too. You don't need the Triforce to win against Ganondorf- your first incarnation didn't need it to defeat Demise. Try to recall something that may come in handy and trust your instincts, Zelda."_

He placed his forehead against hers. _"You can prove them all just how strong you are on the inside. You have several reasons to continue on and some of them need you more than you could possibly realize. Please fight to live to become the person you want to be-I know you can do it Zelda."_

"I... can't." Zelda felt like crying. "L- look a-at me. I-I'm br-bro-broke-ke-ken."

" _Is that what you really believe, Zelda?"_ Ivan raised an eyebrow. _"Think again."_

"Y..you're j-just a dr-dre-eam."

Zelda locked eyes with the spirit of the fairy companion for one moment before she felt her drowsiness get the best of her and she blacked out.

 _ **-?-**_

Shadow screamed as he ran into the shadows of a rocky wall and clawed at his face as his body gave off smoke. It felt as if his skin was twisting and hardening on him, he didn't even bother to suppress his crying tears of agony, and he wanted so badly to end his suffering.

Except he could not afford to turn back- not if his real body was still too damaged to be of any use. Not if so many were depending on him and not if Zelda was still in deep trouble.

"Oh damn!" He cried as his nails dug deeper into the flesh of his artificial face, which had some dark marks here and there. "Damnit, damnit, damnit to Farore!"

He peered through the gaps of his fingers to see a familiar sight looming in the distance and that was none other than the old Spirit Temple. It gave him some hope that just maybe he would find what he was looking for, but it would mean a long run from where he was now to there.

He took another deep breath as his hands grabbed at his arms and his sharp nails hug into them. "I can do this, I can do this!" He hissed to himself. After a few seconds, he pushed himself back out into the sunlight and ran as fast as his body could allow him to while shielding his face with one arm so that he wouldn't risk losing his eyesight. He felt every part of him that was in direct sunlight increase the burning sensations and the exposed parts slowly began to blacken until they hardened, became something like charcoal, and slowly turned into something like flakes of ash that flew off into the air.

He was literally burning away until there would be nothing left of him.

 **-Elsewhere-**

"You all know what to do!" Liam's voice rose loud enough for all the knights and Gorons to hear as they waited in the empty Gerudo village. "Find Fi and Midna and bring them back alive so I can send them back!"

"And find Link and Zelda if they're here!" Proxy also added as loudly as possible. "And if we do, then we know what must be done!"

One small group that composed of Kay, Jayce, and Bethany, nodded in understanding.

"Remember to be careful and conserve your energy if possible!" Liam yelled as he turned around to face the other side of the bridge, where the monsters could be seen in the hazy distance. "NOW GO!" He lead the charge and ran as fast as possible. The others were encouraged to show their determination to yell and charge forth as they raced beyond the bridge and began to split up and begin the search.

The monsters were numerous, but they were ready to take them all out. Every victory meant an easier chance of winning the battle and they were ready to thin the numbers out. These monsters showed no mercy and to most it was fitting to give them the same in due.

"ARGH!" Ashei yelled as her ball and chain slammed into all that got in her way while the Gorons charged forward to attack the others.

"FOR HYRULE!" Bethany screamed as she sent arrow after arrow at the oncoming monsters.

"TELL GANONDORF WE'LL SEE HM IN HELL!" Sir Winslow stabbed a large moblin in its stomach with his blade.

Of course, this all did not escape the notice of Ganondorf's best commanders. One of them was waiting inside a keep that was smack dab in the middle of a huge area of land and she stared at a familiar trio with little concern.

"You think that you can defeat me when I know how you perform in battle?" Fi asked. "Your chances of success against me are much lower than the last time."

"That freak you follow hurt our friends!" Groose pointed his sword at Fi as he took a bomb out of his bag while both Karane and Pipit also had their swords out.

"Were getting Hyrule back!" Karane snarled as she drew a mace out to wield with her sword.

"And you're first on the agenda!" Pipit growled. "Bring it on!"

Fi wordlessly ran ahead, but Groose quickly tossed the bomb at her. Though she dodged, he darted around the resulting explosion and gave her a swipe to the sword and would have cut into her, but no blood was drawn and only a dark cut appeared upon her body. When Fi was distracted, Karane rushed in and also tried to attack, but Fi blocked her sword. This only made Karane knock Fi's sword away with her mace and reach out to slash at Fi.

"TAKE THIS!" Groose performed an upper cut with his blade into Fi, while Pipit hurried around Fi and when the servant of Demise was knocked back by the attack, he unleashed a down cut upon her.

 _Something isn't right._ Karane took a moment to observe Fi as she struggled with the two knights. _I know she is supposed to be a sword spirit like Ghirahim, but why is her coloring different?_ The spirit did in fact had a dull tone in her body and clothes in comparison to when Karane last fought with her.

The sword spirit then knocked the two young men away and then took to the air by a few feet before flying off to the north.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Groose yelled as he lead the charge. "GET BACK HERE, YOU FAIRY WANNABE!"

Elsewhere, Midna encountered a very angry young Goron who still recalled what she had done the last time he saw her.

"YOU!" Geode's grip on the fire rod tightened as he stared the princess down. "IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU THAT MY BROTHER AND KOJI ARE DEAD!"

"As are so many other Gorons." Midna sighed in boredom as she twirled her spear around her. "Honestly they were just another casualty of war like you'll soon be."

"What the heck is your problem?!" Geode demanded. "Why re-join Ganondorf after what he did to you?! You're not worthy of the title of Twilight Princess if you act the opposite of a noble ruler!"

Midna's smirk changed into a scowl. "Oh no- don't you _dare_ think you can preach to me like Zant or Zelda! You know what?!" She pointed her spear at the Goron and sent a wave of artificial Twili wolves at him. "I'll personally send you to your companions with full regards!"

Geode screamed and sent a wave of flames at the wolves before they could attack him and he charged forward. The Twili merely laughed and sent a stone hand out from her mirror, but the Goron curled into a ball and rolled away from it, before he sped up and crashed right into her stomach and knocked her down. As she struggled to get up, Geode uncurled and grabbed the Mirror of Twilight before punching it as hard as he could with a fist that still held onto the fire rod. If he could destroy her greatest source of power then they would have a chance.

But to his confusion, the mirror only vanished into black smoke when his fist hit the surface.

"You idiot!" Midna let out a laugh. "Do you honestly think it'll be that easy?!"

Geode yelled in frustration as he began to see red and sent his free fist right into Midna's stomach.

"GET BACK HERE!" Groose yelled as he tried to swing his sword at Fi, but she kept flying away. It took an arrow from a nearby archer to finally put a stop to her and give the trio enough time to catch up and finish the job.

"Thanks!" Pipit waved to the archer before joining in to attack Fi. Within mere moments they all took her down and she collapsed but then she vanished into black smoke before they could celebrate in their victory.

"What the-?!" Groose was flabbergasted. "How did-?"

"Did it seem weird to you that she looked different and wasn't putting in as much effort?" Karane asked.

"Now that you mention it, it was almost too easy." Pipit realized.

Elsewhere, Geode was still blindly punching Midna without realizing that her coloring was not the same as he would have remembered it- she was paler than she should have been. Even when her body vanished into smoke, he continued to punch through to the sand until he was able to slowly realize what just happened. The angry haze began to clear up as he stared at the ground before looking at his hand in horror at what he allowed himself to do.

"This... this isn't right." He gulped. "None of this is right."

He looked up to see that more monsters were coming towards him and the others. The only way to snap out of his shame and confusion was to keep fighting, so he took the staff and head towards the monsters.

Meanwhile, Liam and his group tried their hardest to fight the monsters, but for some reason it seemed that wave after wave kept coming.

"We can't keep this up!" Sir Winslow yelled. "We must go to a different area!"

"We can't!" A female knight yelled. "The gates closed us in! We're trapped in this area with the monsters!"

Liam cursed as he looked into the sky. The heat was getting worse with each moment and it would take long for heat stroke to be a severe threat for all of them.

"Liam!" Proxy yelled as he flew to the sorcerer. "Both Midna and Fi vanished into smoke!"

"What?!" Liam demanded.

"What's more is that they apparently didn't put up much of a fight!" Proxy added in concern. "Something's wrong and what's worse is that more monsters are appearing in the area!"

"Any sign of Zelda and Link?!" Liam asked before quickly sending a spell at an oncoming monster.

"No!"

"Then keep looking!" Liam yelled and the fairy took to the skies.

 **-Arbiter's Grounds/Spirit Temple-**

Inside what was once both a mighty temple and a house of the condemned was a familiar figure who was barely alive but still filled with reckless determination to keep going. A long trial of ashes and charcoal like dust had either fell to the floor or had been smeared upon the walls until they lead right to the young man, who struggled to support himself against a wall in a hall lined with torches alit with flames.

Shadow cursed as his body still continued to shake from the pain and shock of the overexposure to the sunlight. Parts of his form had blackened and then turned ash white to the point that he had lost chunks of flesh, hair, most of his right ear, and parts of clothing, including his scarf which now looked like it was made of mere threads instead of just cloth. Even his hat was not moving like it normally did and it- like the other parts of him- had lost chunks that had been turned to dust and fell into the air. Though he did not know it, his own face was half dark to the point that the red in one his eyes bleed out into the whiteness while the rest of his skin had dark burn like patches, and were still smoking from exposure.

Even his boots left behind dust, as did his hand which left a smear of blackness against the wall when he tried to support himself and press against it as he struggled to walk.

He could barely move his hands and it hurt to move his mouth- the flesh and muscles hardened too much and forcing them to move and bend created more dust and caused a sharp stinging sensation in his face.

He grunted as he tried to move forward, but his already fragile wrist snapped from the pressure against the wall. He let out a startled yell as he slammed onto the ground and felt more of himself deteriorate. He slowly looked at his hand, only to see that it had snapped off and was disintegrating into dust while the remaining stump looked like the black and brittle end of fire wood.

"Oh Nayru," A now trembling Shadow felt like he needed to vomit at the sight of how he lost his hand. He knew that this body was just a mass of darkness that contained his mental conscious (while the real one was safe within the mirror) but this was just another sign of how far he had fallen in both body and in fate. "Oh Nayru- Oh-!" He clutched his remaining hand over his mouth and kneeled over on his side.

To burn and slowly disintegrate into powder like a log in a fireplace while being aware of it was, in his opinion, a terrible way to go out from this life. It was to the point that he would have to get back into his real body, unless he wanted to risk a far worser fate upon himself.

"Look at him! He's all crawling on the ground like a worm!"

"Fitting for a fallen prince I say!"

Shadow slowly looked up to see some stalfoes and a bunch of other monsters laughing and pointed at him from the other end of the hall. "Hey, you think they'll torture him like they did to the pretty girl?"

"Or maybe we'll just take him and force him to watch as we have a go at her!" A poe wheezed out in laughter. "Who says that they get to have all the fun?! We could stab and burn the hero too!"

"Yeah, maybe we'll get to chop off her hair or something, so long as she stays alive!" A bokoblin shrieked in delight. "She won't look as pretty when we're through with her!"

Whatever was left of Shadow's delicate psyche was shattered. It took everything to stay focused through the agony while he was in the sunlight. Thoughts of his kingdom, his friends, his precious sister, and that beautiful, wonderful girl who liked him even as this crude, destructive incarnation, kept him going when the world around him spun and the orb in the sky ate at him until he left behind dust. All that mattered now- the only sole reason to keep living at this point- was reaching Zelda alive and getting her out of this rat infested hole.

And these spawns of Demise dared to think of touching her?

Shadow let out a low laugh and slowly he began to rise back up on his feet as he forced the mirror to give him strength and rejuvenate his damaged shell. He didn't care if he would lose what little goodness remained of him; he was too angry to care anymore.

"Y'all shouldn't have done that." He chuckled as he felt his body course with something like fluid or blood and the chunks of himself that were missing were beginning to reform.

"What'd you say?!" The stalfoes demanded.

" **I said-"** Shadow repeated as his head rose up and tendrils of darkness suddenly shot out of his body- one of which bursted through the remains of the damaged side of his face and out of the stump where his hand had been- **"-Y'ALL SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT!"** He yelled in a tone that would have been considered hammy and over-the-top, yet it was the grin on his face that was wider than that of the Happy Mask Salesman and fiercer than that belonging to the false moon that once plagued the land of Termina, that caused bone chilling dread in the monsters.

With a burst of speed, the dark version of Link practically flew out at the group and the tendrils of darkness impaled anyone unlucky enough to be in the way or had not been fast enough to run away.

" **THAT'S IT!"** Shadow yelled in sick delight. **"YOU WANT STABBING?! I'VE GIVE YOU STABBING! I'LL GIVE IT ALL!"**

Shadow continued to laugh and tear apart the monsters in the most violent of ways imaginable and didn't stop when they were gone. He continued to run-almost _glide_ his way through Arbiter's Grounds and tore through anything unlucky enough to cross his path. The only warning they had was the dying screams of the fallen or his eyes which were both fully red and glowing in the darkness.

He was immune to the protests in his damaged body and all he knew was to kill as many as possible and get to his Princess. He was too overcome with anger to realize that he was truly turning into his worst self as the person he used to be was slowly fading away. The delights of violence and his own laughter drowned out all reason and the screams that ensued from the unlucky.

 **-Outside-**

Despite Shadow's unintentional aid, there was still a number of monsters that appeared in place of those who were slain. On and on it continued, and it seemed that the once possible victory was escaping the warriors of Hyrule with each passing second.

"Ugh..." Proxy glanced around in alarm. "Where is Link and Zelda?!" He then noticed something in the distance- a strange circular architecture in the distance that he had never checked out yet. "Maybe-!" A hopeful Proxy flew towards the structure as fast as he could and paid little mind to the monsters that kept escaping from the building or the surrounding area.

"ZELDA?!" Proxy flew down into the former mirror chamber where Zelda was chained up. "Oh thank the Goddesses!" He laughed but then hesitated when he saw how bad of a state Zelda was in and that she didn't seem awake. "Zelda?" He asked as he flew into her face and waved back and forth. "Zelda wake up! We came to save you! ZELDA! HEY! HEY LISTEN!" He screamed as loudly as he could.

No response.

"No," Proxy shook his body as he realized that perhaps the worst had passed upon his friend. "No. No, no, no NO!" He cried. "No you can't do this again Zelda! You have to still be alive! We're trying so hard to save you again!" He slammed himself repeatedly against her cheek, but she still wouldn't budge.

He let out a frustrated cry. "Fine! Don't wake up! I'll just go and let Bethany and the others know where you are!" He flew off to try to find Bethany or Liam to inform them where Zelda was.

"We cant help if this keeps up!" Bethany complained to the others from inside a keep as she shot an arrow with a bomb attached to it at a large group of monsters. "Do you guys have any ideas?"

Jayce's hold on her sword tightened up. "If we had more powerful allies on our side, than this would have been much easier. Where are people like Vaati or Saria when we need them?!"

"GUYS!" Proxy yelled as he came to the trio. "I found Zelda! She's on top of Arbiter's Grounds in the mirror chamber!"

"Oh thank Din!" Bethany laughed as Kay quickly asked. "How bad is she?"

"She wouldn't wake up when I tried talking to her!" Proxy frantically replied. "You have to cure her and fast!"

"Got it!" Bethany saluted to the fairy. "Tell Liam and we'll go ahead!" She ran towards the former temple, with the others in close pursuit.

"But we don't know what its like in there!" Jayce pointed out. "There could be more monsters in there or even traps!"

"Well we can't call ourselves protectors of Hyrule if we can't handle a beastie or a puzzle!" Bethany laughed. "Now lets show a rude gesture to fate and show that the hero doesn't have to be the only one to go through a dungeon!"

Had Bethany known what kind of help they were getting in the temple, she would have been even more confident in their victory, but perhaps she would have been more afraid if she understood the circumstances or knew what the real source of danger was within those haunted walls.

" **TELL GANONDORF THAT I'M COMING FOR HIM!"** Shadow shrieked inside the temple as he tore a monster in half with his bare hands. **"HE'S GOING TO REGRET MAKING ME HURT ZELDA! GO AHEAD! TELL YOUR HORROR STORIES ABOUT ME BECAUSE NOW YOU GOT A REAL MONSTER TO WORRY ABOUT!"** He laughed as he hurried off to find Zelda with nothing but pure adrenaline to suppress the protests of his still damaged body.

Outside, a good distance away from Arbiter's Grounds, Liam was getting worse; the heat, the monsters and Fi and Midna were getting to be too much for him and he felt as if he were about to collapse as he struggled to clear out a keep, only for more monsters to appear and come for them.

"This can't be how it ends," Liam panted as he sent another spell at a group of monsters. "Not like this... not like this." He could only watch in helpless horror as a fellow knight was slain by the large axe of a bulbin before he could make a move to save him.

"Give it up blue boy!" A monster snarled at Liam. "You'll never save the hero's corpse, let alone Hyrule itself!"

"NO!" Liam yelled as he sent another spell.

Where did it all go wrong? What choice was made to set the course to this point?

What would he have done if he were still whole? What would Ceyia have done? He never had his darker part's smarts and it wasn't like he could summon help from the past or-

Help from the past... he had an idea that gave him hope but then it vanished like the monster he just disintegrated. Why would anyone from the past help if they saw what would happen to Hyrule's future? He could already picture their anger and their distrust towards them. They would chose to protect Hyrule and aid its champion, but not the weaker half of the one who almost destroyed the timeline.

And what would happen if they remembered? Would they have another burden to carry for the rest of their lives? Would they die or fall into a coma?

Gods, he was so confused! Why did the rules of time in this world have to be so frustrating! All he knew was that he desired help more than anything in the world- he wanted his _friends_ back together again.

"Goddesses of Hyrule," He prayed as he struggled with another spell and had to kick a monster away. "Please lend me your blessing. Let me open a pathway across time so I can fix my mistakes. Let me-" He felt himself perform some sort of spell but he had no idea what it was- it was just like clockwork without thought- but it had to be the spell he wanted to cast. It had to be for all their sakes.

"Please," He panted as he collapsed to his knees. "Please,"

There was nothing he could do. The monsters were beginning to close in on him and he could feel the flame of despair growing inside him.

 **-Era of the Twilight-**

" _Little lady-bug, little lady bug,"_ Agitha sang to herself as she searched through the flowerbed near the southern Hyrule Castle entrance. _"La de dah, dah dah!"_

The sound of laughter reached her ears and she glanced up to see the Hero of Twilight's younger brother playing with his sister while a certain horse stayed by their side. "That's it Faith!" He cheered to the young infant as he held her up so that she could stand upon the ground. The little girl squealed in delight, which made the boy's smile brighten.

"The little caterpillar is doing splendid!" Agitha happily complimented.

"Thanks!" The boy–Colin—replied back. "I've been helping her!"

Agitha chuckled and was about to reply when she heard a strange sound and turned around to see a strange portal of yellow and white.

 **-Era of Time-**

"Do you think she's still depressed over what happened?" Ruto asked during a visit to Darunia, where she and a few members of her tribe met for fun and to discuss events and concerns. The two were at a spot where they could see Kakariko Village and the sky was a perfect blue color to reflect the peace of that day.

"I know she went back to her old self after that trip in the woods, but I still worry about her." Ruto continued. "Sometimes I get this feeling that there's something we aren't aware of and-"

"I get that feeling too." Darunia admitted. "But if she ever felt that depressed again, then she has us to talk to."

"I suppose." Ruto was still unsure. "I'm surprised she still wanted to be friends with me after the way I treated her when we were kids. And of course you somehow manage to name your son after her–"

Darunia suddenly let out a laugh and slapped his stomach. "Ah, you push yourself too hard! You're not the same kid from seven years ago, just as I haven't been the same since." He grew serious. "We both had to wise up a little. I just wish that it didn't have to take a war to do that."

Ruto reflected on the past for a moment, but then she was interrupted by a strange sound and turned around to face a strange portal of magic that–for some reason–looked familiar to her, like a lost memory. "Haven't I–?"

"Seen that before?" Daruina also wondered.

 **-Era of the Sky-**

Hylia's reincarnation stared at the spirit of the Master Sword with a stunned, yet concerned look in his eyes. He crossed his arms and began to think over what Ghirahim told him as well as what had to be sacrificed in order to prevent a possible future.

"If you do this, you'll be locked in the sword forever and you'll never wake up." He finally spoke as he looked Ghirahim in the eye. "I can't even guarantee that my power will be enough to ensure what you're asking for, or if Demise was being honest about this curse of his."

"First off, you are underestimating just how much power you had as Hylia." Ghirahim's eyes narrowed. "Second off, I know Demise better than you think. Both your descendants and incarnations are damned into a cycle that will never cease unless some miracle were to happen in your favor or if Demise's incarnation ceases that hatred."

"There's also the fact that if Zelda is reborn then she will not be the same person." Link countered. "She might not even know you or that the sword is alive. I know she means a lot to you now, but is giving up your freedom worth that possibility?"

Ghirahim turned his head to see Zelda resting near the seedling that would one day become a great tree. The girl had fallen in a deep sleep and was recovering from her difficult battle with Demise but one would not know that was what she had gone through until they saw the grime and blood that had dried up on her hands or was still soaked into her dress around a hole where she had been stabbed. If this had just happened close to an hour ago, then it would happen again in the future.

It made him sick to his stomach in a way that would have normally considered to be a weakness.

So why was he so sure that he was making the right decision?

"What the heck?!" The two turned to see that Groose and jumped away from a portal that appeared in front of the gate of time. "Ok, now what?!" The red head (with horrid sense in hairstyle, Ghirahim thought) demanded. "Is there going to be some sort of giant worm with crazy dimension powers that'll pop out and try to eat us all?!"

Ghirahim stared at the portal and realized he had seen it before. Then all of the sudden a series of what he thought had been dreams came rushing back into his head as if a log had rammed into his stomach.

More importantly, a familiar blonde haired girl from those dreams suddenly became as equally important to the girl sleeping in the temple.

"The blonde commander who was able to pull out the sword," He whispered to Zelda "despite that only one other could be able to pull it out...It was you all along." His eyes widened in realization.

Knowing that the portal had to be there for a reason, Ghirahim rushed towards the Master Sword that lay near Zelda. He was going to need to take his true body with him if he needed to answer the call.

 **-Era of the Twilight-**

Zant took a moment to stop looking at the documents at his desk and held his face in his hands. "These stupid people and their accusations and demands. Soon they'll want me to banish the others from the kingdom and then we'll have a war on our hands."

"You should take a break." Beliah suggested after she looked at a paper from one of the documents and set it back down with the others. "I'll see if your cousins would like to have some input on this and prepare a survey for the kingdom to take."

Zant gave Beliah a smile of appreciation. "I would like that."

Zant got up as Beliah re-organized the documents for him and he headed towards the balcony that overlooked a wide area of land in the distance. Once he got there he hung his arms over the wall and stared at the colorful sky in thought.

Sometimes he missed those days when the earth was varying shades of green and the sky was blue, but when he missed them he found himself missing a certain someone.

A familiar howl could be heard and for one second he thought that his favorite Lady Wolf had somehow found a way back into the Twilight realm. He then realized that there were wolves out on the land and one of them let out a haunting tune into the sky.

Maybe he'd commission a statue of a wolf, just for the heck of it.

Another sound met his ears and he practically whipped around in time to see a strange portal. A portal that–

 _The return back to Hyrule, two boys similar in face, a war that spanned ages, and a girl who had the appearance of Lady Wolf but was lighter in heart._

"If that's here then–" Zant realized that something had to be wrong on the other side. He rushed towards the portal and was about to enter it, when he felt someone grab his sleeve. He looked to see that it was Beliah, who apparently also recovered her memories and was concerned for him.

"Zant—" She began, but then shook her head and smiled. "Make it back alive, alright? We don't want to lose a good king."

Zant smiled at the woman and grabbed her hand. "I shall do my best." He promised as he kissed the back of her hand before dashing into the portal.

As Beliah smiled and watched the portal disappear, both Ariadne and Daphne recalled their own experiences in the past as they played with their creature companions.

"You just felt that, didn't you?!" Ariadne gasped as she turned to Daphne who was rendered speechless. "You recall those battles and those friends we made."

"I... I did." Daphne touched her cheek as she remembered a private moment between her and a Sheikah from the future. A twinge of sadness ate at her, but all she could do was smile at her sister. "I did." She repeated.

Inside the portal, Zant hurried as fast as he could towards the other end. He became aware that someone was in there beside him and it wasn't until he heard her voice that he felt his excitement grow.

"Sir Knight!" Agitha greeted as she hurried alongside Zant with her parasol hanging out and open over her shoulder. "You remembered too?"

"I do, Your Highness." He laughed. "It looks like they still have need for us after all!"

 **-Present Day-**

Three portals appeared around Liam and each one threw the monsters back away from the sorcerer. He glanced up and felt his heart stop as four familiar faces hurried out of the portal.

"Hey, I thought you fixed the timeline for good!" Darunia laughed as he held his hammer over his shoulder while Ruto gave Liam a radiant smile.

"It appears that you gave us another battle to fight in your era." Ghirahim nonchalantly noted as he looked at the monsters with an excited gleam in his eye.

"So who are we fighting this time?" Zant asked as Agitha waved at Liam.

Liam slowly smiled and let out a breathless gasp of happiness and relief while the other knights were almost rendered speechless before they felt a surge of hope grow within them; despite Liam's interference, the warriors of the past were still willing to lend him a hand in their time of need and they didn't seem to be angry at him. "Everyone... thank you."

"Yeah, who is it this time?" Ruto asked, repeating Zant's question. This made Liam snap out of his moment of joy and prepared himself for the worst as he made his answer to the point:

"Ganondorf has the complete Triforce, thanks to the aid of Fi and Midna, who we are trying to capture. We are also trying to find Link and Zelda, who might be trapped in this desert."

As expected, all of the excitement or patience vanished in an instant to be replaced with horror. Ruto and Darunia looked as if they were reliving a nightmare, Agitha only looked a little nervous (since she had no prior experience with Ganondorf), Zant was surprisingly calm, despite having flinched at the mention of Midna, but Ghirahim looked like he was about to go off into a bloody rampage for reasons Liam could not comprehend at that moment.

"Where are they?" Zant demanded.

"Don't know yet." Liam turned around to face the monsters. "Right now let's get rid of these guys!"

"Gladly!" Darunia swung his hammer back as he ran towards the monsters and took a mighty swing into them.

All throughout the desert, the knights and Gorons received the much welcomed aid.

Geode and a few others were stunned when a large burst of water- like a tidal wave out of the sea- bursted against their enemies and swept them away.

"Hi guys!" Ruto happily cheered as she swam in the water.

"M-my Lady!" Geode's eyes widened as he felt a blush creep into his face.

"Come on, we can do this all day!" Karane panted as she held her sword out, along with Groose and Pipt as they became cornered in a keep by a large swarm. "Give us all you got!"

The monsters accepted the taunt and made to pounce, while their pray tensed and prepared to fight there way out, when dark spikes rose out of the ground and impaled the first row, while the others were stabbed by sharp projectiles. It was only when they all collapsed that the trio saw their very familiar savior.

"Well what do you know," Ghirahim smirked at all three. "I guess you all were thrown into the wheel of incarnation as well."

"Ghirahim?!" Pipit gapped. "But-how-how did-?!"

Elsewhere, Ashei watched in stunned silence as a familiar Twili King grew in size and proceeded to stomp on the monsters like they were bugs and let out high pitched grunts at each step.

"Huh," She smiled. "I guess I got to see him do it after all."

"Hooligans!" Agitha cried out as she smacked a bulbin in the face. "How dare you hurt our friends!"

"GAH!" Darunia threw a large boulder on fire at a larger bulbin.

"Take this!" Ruto sent two water cyclones to crash into some unsuspecting monsters as well as into each other.

"Is that all you have?!" Ghirahim laughed as he trapped some monsters in a diamond dome and sent daggers into them while the very large Zant continued to stomp the ground behind him. "This is barely a warm up!"

"Don't just stand there and gawk!" Liam yelled as he dashed through the battlefield. "Everyone fight! Fight with all you got and we'll win!"

The support provided a much need boost of moral for all the fighters. It gave them the strength to continue on and try to take out as many as they could or else go out in glory.

"Headshot!" Bethany cheered as her arrow hit the head of a monster.

"Rugh!" Sir Winslow grunted as he smacked a monster in the face with his shield before quickly stabbing him.

"YAH!" Ashei yelled as she swung the ball and chain around her.

The numbers were beginning to diminish significantly and it was at this point that Ivan found Liam.

"I found Zelda!" He told him. "She's at the top of Arbiter's Grounds."

Liam momentarily stopped when he heard this. "Arbit- oh!" He realized. "I guess that would have made sense! Go tell- no wait! As soon as we get enough monsters, get as many people as you can to come to me and tell them what is going on!"

In time the warriors finally had a chance to clear out the majority of the monsters, but they were aware that more would be sent out in order to stop them, unless they found the commanders. They only had enough time to group up together for Liam to tell them what was going on.

"The thing is that Ganondorf seriously injured Link and Zelda and separated her from the Master Sword." He quickly explained. "And I don't know exactly where Fi and Midna are, but Proxy has found Zelda on top of the Spirit Temple, which some of you might know as Arbiter's grounds."

"Arbiter's-?" Zant came to a quick understanding as memories of times both good and bad came back to him.

"So we all must go up there!" Ruto jumped in. "We can find her and then find Link and-"

"No you will not."

All eyes turned in confusion to Ghirahim, who stared at a particular part of the desert.

"The rival commanders would already know that we are here. If you all tried to get to this Temple, than it might be too late."

"For Din's sake, none of us are magical like most of you are!" A knight threw his hands up. "It's not like any of us can teleport to the top!" A smile rose on the sword spirit's mouth as he replied. "Are you sure about that?"

Liam then understood what needed to be done and a plan slowly began to form in his mind. "Then I have a plan that might go in our favor."

 **-Spirit Temple/Arbiter's Grounds-**

Shadow panted as he struggled up the steps; that burst of energy had drained him and not only did he feel as weak as when he first entered Arbiter's Grounds, he also felt like he was about to vomit again.

"Heh, heh," Shadow half chuckled and half panted as he began to reach the top and collapsed against the wall. "I'm not going to do that again!" He let out a wheezy laugh. A few more steps and he would find himself back outside in the sunlight and he wasn't prepared for what would come next. He was ready to give himself a quick break.

At least until he looked out and saw, beyond the rubble, chains, and what-not, chained to a large stone, was Zelda herself.

The insanity that clouded Shadow's mind vanished as, for one moment, his full persona as Link broke through to fully remerge with the damaged persona. Everything that had made Link pure in heart was Shadow's in that moment and the only objective in his mind was reinforced by anger and something much more intense than the need for violence.

With a scream that was not even Hylian or monster, Shadow forced himself to run into the sunlight and forced the tendrils of darkness out of his body. Even as his body began to turn to smoke and burn up, he raced across the grounds and didn't stop until he reached Zelda. Even as his body felt like it was hardening from the sun's touch, he forced the tendrils to cut through the chains with the wave of his hand, before Zelda fell right into his waiting arms. Even as his body was beginning to turn into dust again, he raced around the colossal stone and entered the safety of the large shadow it casted before he collapsed against it.

His panting was heavy as the tendrils broke off his body and broke into pieces as he held Zelda in his lap; even though the burst of power gave him a bit of rejuvenation, it did not fully heal him and his body was smoking from the burns it suffered from. In fact the darkness covering his body vanished away and left behind the damaged shell that had been struggling in the grounds just mere moments ago. Once again he was missing chunks of his body, half his face was retained the burn marks, and he retained a completely red eye while the other side retained a few dark marks and a normal red eye that still had whiteness around the pupil.

For one moment he couldn't move his twitching body and he needed to just compose himself as a wave of relief slowly washed away what was left of his insanity.

Shadow finally looked down and observed the damage that had been done to Zelda; what gave him another burst of anger was seeing the injury that he had been forced to inflict and yet the sight of Zelda herself was enough to bring him back to reality and hope again.

Shadow panted as he gently pressed his remaining hand against her face. (How strange- a hand that had just been used to kill monsters was now being used for such a gentle gesture) Even in her injured and broken state she was still beautiful to him, but he was more concerned about if she was still alive.

He slowly dragged his hand towards her mouth- leaving behind a faint, dark smear upon her cheek and jaw- and he could feel a faint puff of air coming from her nose. Pressing his fingers to her neck to find a pulse further confirmed that she was alive, and that was enough for him to have a genuine smile for the first time since... well, for a really long time.

"Hey Princess." Shadow gently spoke to her. "Sorry I took too long. I promise that I'll get you out of here as soon as I have a chance."

There was no response from her and Shadow felt a strong twinge of fear inside him.

"Please wake up." He pleaded. "I know you must be in a lot of pain but I want you to wake up and try to live. I know you deserve some peace after all that we put you through and all that Ganondorf has done, but there are people still fighting for you and Hyrule in your name. They need you- I _need_ you." He confessed as he caressed her face. "Can't you see what you're capable of inspiring?! You can make one person into a noble warrior and help make the worst of another into something better than what they are!"

Without warning, her good eye slowly opened and Shadow felt his heart stop as it struggled to regain focus and the owner's breathing became more audible.

Moments passed as he patiently waited for Zelda to wake up and see him. Her voice- the most glorious sound of the otherwise awful day- came out in a pained stammer that contained a bit of bewilderment and a little bit of hope. "I... it's you!"

Shadow let out a gasp that he held in for who knew how long and he gave Zelda the warmest smile ever imaginable. Despite the damaged form of his dark counterpart, she could still see Link in his smile and in his eyes. It did not matter what form he took- he would always be the same to her. This version of Link might have had similarities to Liam's own dark counterpart, but there was enough good left inside him to provide a great contrast between the dark creature and the dark sorcerer.

She then saw how severe his burns were and that parts of his body were producing smoke. "Y- you're burning!" She gasped as she struggled to reach her good hand towards him but it was hard to do so as it felt heavy.

"My real body's too damaged to use." Shadow admitted with a smirk.

"Wh-why?" Zelda stammered. Why would he risk so much pain, just to take the chance to find her?

There was no other way he could have answered her question better- Shadow gently lifted her closer towards him as he lowered himself towards her until he could place a soft, yet deep kiss upon her lips.

Zelda's eye widened in shock, but it did not last as an overwhelming feeling emerged from inside her and she closed her eyes. Her good hand reached back up and this time her fingers ran through his now brittle hair- some of which turned to dust in between her fingers- and she grabbed onto it in a moment of passion as she tried to pull herself closer to Shadow. It was an invitation for him to press her closer to him with one arm, while minding her injured side as he too also ran his hand through her hair and passionately clung to it when he reached the back of her head. In that moment they both felt strong enough to bestow their true feelings upon one another. In that moment, time had frozen for them.

Neither realized that- once upon a time, in another life and timeline when she was the Hero of Time- a similar kiss happened while they were both in a similar state as rain and fire surrounded them. That kiss had not developed to its true potential as- in that life- she had been asleep and had the mentality of a child while he was not sure if what he was doing was right. Now that kiss was given a second chance and it was beautiful as it was glorious. Even his worst self could he still feel strong affection for her and even at her weakest she could still feel the joy in his comfort.

Finally Shadow drew away to allow her to take a breath of air as she opened her eyes and stared at him in a new light and understanding. It was as if the experience had gave her back some awareness to the world around her and it stopped spinning in her vision.

"It is you that I also fight for, no matter the face or era." Shadow smiled again.

And that was when the moment had to be rudely interrupted by slow, sarcastic clapping. The dark being and the hero glanced up to see that it was Midna who was clapping, while Fi just stared on at the sight.

"You know I was tempted to suggest that Fi impale the both of you while you were showing your affections to each other and present you to Ganondorf like that, but I can't risk killing either of you." Midna stopped her clapping. In a moment of panic, Shadow tightened his hold on Zelda and tried to stand up, but the pressure was too much for the fragility in his legs and he felt them give way and he landed on his knees which made him cry through clenched teeth.

"I got to admit smoky, you went through a lot to get to this point." Midna added as Shadow snarled at her through his clenched teeth and his eyes narrowed in anger. "From what I hear, you slaughtered a lot of monsters and had a lot of fun with that. I bet a lot of them soiled themselves at the sight of you."

"Shadow?" Zelda let out a concerned whisper as the smoke on Shadow's body grew and slowly became solid tendrils of darkness as his hold on her tightened.

"You have so much power-so much anger- and it all just vanishes the moment you set your eyes on her?" Midna asked. "She really is your weakness boy."

"It is only logical." Fi added. "You are the reincarnation of Hylia- you treasure your champion above all other mortals. Those hinderances you call your feelings halt your true powers-"

Shadow let out a laugh. "You two idiots don't get me, do you?" He sneered. "I have _every_ reason to be angry at y'all! I'd say 'screw it' to the timelines and kill you both if it meant sparing us from the cycle of hatred! But if going beyond the point of no return- if letting that anger fully consume me would turn me into someone like Ganondorf, then there's no point!" He spat. "And yeah, I just killed a bunch of monsters and _damn_ did it feel good! But that's not how I want to live my life! My reasons to stop it while I still have a part of my old self left is fighting out there in the desert, scattered across the world, and right here with me!" His held Zelda closer to him as he said this. "So don't you hypocrites try to lecture or prod me, because I _could_ set off at any minute on you and by the Goddesses you'll _wish_ that you never set foot on Hyrule or harmed its people at any point in its timeline- _especially_ their champion!"

Midna blinked before letting out a laugh. "That's a big speech, coming from a man whose close to being on his deathbed. Maybe I should give you a posthumous award for it."

"Do you think you can reclaim Hyrule in the state that you both are in?" Fi asked. "Do you believe that you can defeat the both of us together?"

Shadow and Zelda stared at them for one moment before the former then let out a weak laugh. "No," He croaked as he pointed a finger at something between them. "That honor goes to _them_."

Confused, both females turned around to see that last thing they ever expected and yet not quite. Neither of the two that they were facing were happy with what they were seeing before their eyes and the anger within them was similar to the one within Shadow.

It was Ghirahim and Zant.

"It's been awhile," Zant's helmet came off as he stared his former friend down.

"And in some ways much longer than you would have thought." Ghirahim added as he glared at Fi.

Shadow and Zelda waited in anticipation to see what would happen between the two sets of rivals. Shadow was ready to try to use the mirror once more and force his way out with the girl in his grasp if he had to.

"So its come to this now." Midna realized with a shake of her head and a smirk as she took her mirror out. "But this time there's no hero good enough to be of any aid to you."

"What makes you convinced that you have a higher chance of victory when I easily bested you last time?" Fi asked Ghirahim. "You are inferior to me in every possible way Ghirahim. I was created to surpass you and do more than what you expect."

Ghirahim only smirked but his eyes told a different story of a knowledge of what Fi was hinting at and the past he just escaped from. "You would be very surprised if you knew what I just went through, my girl."

"What reason do you have to help them out when they aren't the same people you knew?" Midna demanded.

"Because they are my friends legacy." Zant took both scimitars out. "And I've run out of patience since its time to bring you back Midna- we have to end this feud between us."

"And I have one last thing to do before my fate is sealed." Ghirahim added as he summoned out his own sword. "And if it requires securing the inevitable future of my Mistress to be a good one, than so be it."

Midna's grin widened, "Well if that's how we are going to do this, then fine." She snapped her fingers. "But Smoky and Wolfy Jr. are out."

Two stone hands appeared and reached out to grab Shadow and Zelda while pulling them away from each other. Zelda could do nothing but helplessly watch on as Shadow yelled out in frustration before the stone hand dangled him to a point where half his body was safe in the shadow of the rock, while the rest was exposed to the sunlight. What followed was a blood curdling scream from Shadow who tried to squirm out of the hand as his already ruined half of his body slowly darkened and began to produce more smoke.

That was when Zant rushed in to attack Midna and the two vanished into dark particles. Ghirahim also moved in to reach Zelda, but Fi glided in front of his and held her sword out.

"Out of the way!" He growled as he tried to knock her weapon aside, but she quickly blocked his sword and spun around to try to cut him in the back. He quickly turned and blocked the attack- his cape almost flying around him in the process- before sending out daggers at Fi, which she blocked with her 'wings.'

While this was occurring, Shadow screamed all sorts of imaginable profanity as his exposed half slowly turned grayish white or became brittle and dissolved into dust that fell down below him while Zelda cursed herself for being too injured to do anything.

"Your wolf girl's descendant is now burning away like you did when I exposed you to the light!" Midna laughed as she swung a spear in each hand out in front of her, while Zant took a flying leap up in the air as they fought on top of the ledge of the walls around the chamber. Rather than try to swing his blades down, Zant summoned up reddish purple energy and shot it out in small projectiles at Midna, who quickly ran away from them. He chased her around the wall until he finally shot her in the leg and she let out a cry before vanishing into darkness.

Zant glanced around to try to find her.

"AND I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU SUFFER FOR ALL YOU DID TO ME!" Midna screamed as she came flying down from the sky with spear in hand. Zant dodged right before he could be skewered and leapt up to do a spinning leap towards Midna.

"This girl holds the Master Sword, which means that you will suffer a fate worse then death, Ghirahim." Fi said as she sent three different colored fireballs at Ghirahim, who swung his sword out to knock them away. He sent daggers back at her, but she also knocked them aside before taking to the air. He quickly created a diamond flooring under him and made it elevate to her level while Zant and Midna had their own fight upon the top of the walls.

"You understand that your servitude is permanent now, do you?" Fi asked as she traded blows with Ghirahim when they were at the same height. "That is the cruelty behind the divine face of Hylia." She flew backwards before she charged at Ghirahim with her swords out. She made to swing, but Ghirahim held his sword out and blocked her attack by holding the blade out horizontally, with one free hand pressed against the flat of the blade. The force pushed him across the floor, but he kept still as he replied:

"If it means I can fight and be of use to someone worthy of my aid, then I don't give a damn!" Ghirahim snarled as he used his strength to push back. "Especially if its against Demise!" He was able to finally take a swing and regain his footing, just inches away from falling off the floor.

Down below, the worst of the agony for Shadow had vanished, but in its place was the lingering burning sensation that had been left in its place. Now the sunlight had eaten away one side of his head to the point that he was missing a quarter of it, along with part of his neck, part of his forehead, part of his cheek, cheek bone, jaw, and half of his eye socket was missing while the angry red eye was almost jutting out. Because of how far the hand had held him out, he lost both his entire right arm and most of his leg.

It made Zelda worry that the extent of the damage would easily have a consequence on his real body. She had no idea just how the mirror worked, and she hoped that there wasn't some sort of side effect as a result of this.

"Oh sweet Nayru- Zelda!"

Zelda looked down to see three of the knights of Hyrule coming into her hazy view. She thought she could recognize which ones but it was hard to tell from where she was trapped. Shadow still retained enough awareness to see who it was and forced his body to turn into complete darkness and slip out of the grasp of the stone hand before reforming again. (The whole thing hurt, if truth be told.)

"Your Majesty?!" Bethany gapped as Kay and Jayce stared in surprise.

Grunting with determined concentration, Shadow looked up at the stone hand where Zelda was and prepared to force the mirror to increase his body's strength to both destroy the hand and get Zelda out of it without hurting her. He felt the darkness pulse from his hip, where the mirror was close by, and up into his arm and hand as the darkness surged through and began to build up.

"I am never going back!" Midna yelled as she made a stone hand ram towards Zant and caught him between the index and middle finger before trapping him against a rock wall. She summoned another hand that made to pinch his head between its thumb and index finger, but Zant quickly turned into shadow particles and remerged in front of Midna, who swung a spear out to stop his scimitars. In turn, Zant summoned up two of his own stone hands and used his magic to force Midna between them before tossing and slamming her repeatedly against both of them.

A third hand of his own slammed into Midna and pinned her against the ground, but before he could move, in she also turned into particles and before Zant knew it, he was slammed right off the ground by a large wooden bridge and he began to fall down towards the ground. Midna was waiting below and quickly sent a second bridge right up into Zant and knocked him back up before raising herself up into the air with another hand holding her for support. As soon as she reached Zant, she slammed a spear horizontally into him and sent him plummeting back downward.

When Zant fell to the ground, he felt as if he had too much discomfort in both back and stomach to the point that he wondered which position he would need to be in to fight it off.

"The mirror!"

He glanced over to see Geode yell at him. "Destroy the mirror!" The Goron then looked up in alarm and quickly sent a jet of flames out with his staff at Midna, who made to attack him and she was forced to back away.

The Mirror of Twilight- the blessing and curse upon his generation. Of course it had to be the key to victory in this battle.

"I wouldn't do it if I were you!" Midna warned as she pointed a spear at Zant. "Destroy it and you'll lose your only chance to see your wolf girl again!"

With a snarl, Zant finally forced himself back up. He was tired of Midna trying to emotionally manipulate him anymore and he was tired of having her be a source of misery even when she had been put in a deep sleep.

He could not afford to lose himself to another fit- he had to stay focused.

He charged ahead, with weapons out and ready, and when she charged forward, he leapt into the air and began to spin.

Up above in the air, Fi could sense that Ghirahim had changed. There was something about him that was similar to when she first saw him, and yet there was something much more akin to Hylia's power radiating off him. Whatever it was, she knew that she could not last much longer in her current form.

In fact, it was when Ghirahim successfully broke through a gap between her swords and sliced her in the stomach- and damaging the false skin and the real metallic form underneath- that she knew she had to change.

"You brought this upon yourself." She told him as her magic engulfed her and she regained her true form as a sword spirit- a blue metallic- almost marble like- coating covered her face, hair, and glossed over her eyes. "My power has now reached its maximum."

Ghirahim continued to hold his swords- a small one and a large one- out, but he didn't make a move to attack. In fact, he flinched and became stiff at the sight of Fi as his eyes reflected an unusual sort of stress that one would not normally associate with him.

"Are you questioning your abilities?" She inquired as her voice took on a melodic echo. "You know what will happen if you try to do the same as I have done. You won't be able to ignore the constant pain."

Ghirahim's grip on the swords tightened as the memories flashed back.

 _One moment his Mistress was laughing and her happiness became his happiness... a flash of a sword and then he realized too late exactly who had escaped from his perfect detection abilities... the sight of her being forced to the floor by blades forced into her body... the screams of her pain ringing in his ears... the overwhelming fear for another that he never experienced in all of his existence and being unable to do anything unless she would receive much worse... the anger consuming him._

It was all thanks to this spirit before him. He could not stop her from that awful moment in her future due to the laws of time and it was as if he was going to burst into a million fragments from the building frustration.

Fi looked down and saw three knights tending to the fallen hero while their prince could only watch from where he sat.

Even without looking, Ghirahim knew what was about to happen- the past was already repeating.

"Come on, come on!" Bethany forced Zelda to drink a blue potion in a bottle like an infant in order to restore her energy. "Get it ready!" She told Kay, who took the imitation Great Fairy tears out.

"Please work, please work!" He pleaded to the bottle as he made to open it up, while unaware of the fact that the blue sword spirit was descending right down towards Zelda with one sword aimed right at her heart while the other was ready to cut through Bethany to reach Zelda. Shadow could see it, but his throat had been burned to the point that his voice box was still trying to recover and he couldn't move due to the exhaustion that settled in after freeing Zelda. He could only try to croak out a futile warning as Fi rapidly drew closer towards Zelda, who just finished drinking the blue potion.

A flash of black appeared right between Fi and Zelda and Bethany.

Before she knew it, Fi saw a dark figure grab her sword with his bare hands and pulled it out of her grasp. The Hylians turned in shock to see that a large muscular figure covered in a diamond pattern appeared before them, but it was Fi who felt a surge in Ghirahim's power when she saw him glaring at her with solid white eyes. He grabbed her neck and vanished them away from the chamber while the others realized that they had to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Bottom's up!" Kay quickly resumed his task and poured the contents of the vial into Zelda's waiting mouth while Bethany moved away to help Jayce get Shadow up and support him against her (with his remaining arm around her neck and shoulders) so that they could get him out with them.

Ghirahim was too angry for words when he transported Fi right outside the front entrance to Arbiter's Grounds. He flung her right into an ancient stone wall as hard as he could and she smashed right through it (sending bricks flying everywhere) and landed right into a rock wall where she was impaled a few inches within the earth.

Understanding just how much the circumstances had changed, she kicked herself away from the wall and flew right towards Ghirahim, while charging up yellow energy below her feet. Ghirahim was quick to dodge- more like twirl around her- before sending a blow to her backside with a large sword.

Elsewhere, Midna laughed as she summoned out a beam of energy from her mirror and Zant was forced to run away until he was able to vanish and reappear on top of a totem behind Midna, which he sent crashing down towards her, though the former princess sensed him in the nick of time and dodged. She summoned up a great wolf with her magic and rode atop it, like a rider on his horse. Zant summoned up a large version of his helmet and locked himself inside when the wolf tried to attack and batted the contraption with its paws before bitting into it with its massive teeth. The helmet vanished and Zant quickly spun in a cyclone style towards Midna with his scimitars and this time Midna was unable to turn around in time as he was able to slice through a part of her back. She let out a scream, but quickly vanished off the wolf and reappeared with a large canon and shot out energy right at Zant and the wolf. Though the wolf got the full blast and exploded into dark particles, Zant vanished leapt up off it and shot his own blast of magic into Midna.

"They're all going to kill each other at this rate!" Ruto worriedly turned to Liam, who was trying to keep an eye on everything and was readying spells that would send the unwanted past dwellers back to where they were supposed to go to. Already he knew exactly where to send them and at what point in time.

"Shouldn't we help them?" Agitha asked Liam, but Sir Winslow held a hand up in protest.

"It is their rightful duty to face their true opponents without our aid. Let fate play out its course for all of them." He glanced towards Ghirahim and Fi, who were steadily approaching them. The two were exchanging blows with their swords so furiously and so rapidly that it was as if watching a storm at work instead of two swordsmen. Every blow seemed to be blocked and each time it seemed one was trying to outdo the other by an increase of size in swords or in sped. The moment daggers would start flying, one would send more daggers to block the other off or try to pierce through the opposite end.

Both Fi and Ghirahim were slowly losing their stamina and concentration. It was inevitable for one to suffer a serious injury if they could not keep up with the other.

In a sudden burst of magic, Fi summoned up a flower patterned energy ring under her and sent them bursting outward- one of them successfully cutting through Ghirahim's shoulder. He merely grunted and swung his blade out right towards her and she was forced to go flying away.

The moment she saw a small group making to exit from the entrance to the temple- the very group that she intended to attack- she decided to take a chance to distract Ghirahim. She saw that one of the knights was trying to help guide Shadow out and was able to find a large dirty cloth to hide him in- it was the very knight who carried the Master Sword with her. Behind them by about a few feet were the other two knights and the male was carrying the injured hero in a bridal style while the other had her bow ready.

It did not matter to Fi anymore as to how Ganondorf would react to the death of Zelda. As long as Hylia's precious mortal died prematurely, then it would ensure a complete victory.

This time Fi flung her daggers right at Zelda and the knight who carried her before Ghirahim could reach her in time, or make the move to stop the attack.

One person saw what was about to happen at the moment Fi made a move- she knew what had to be done.

Jayce let go of Shadow and dashed in front of Zelda and Kay with her arms spread wide out. The very instant Shadow had collapsed to the ground was the moment Jayce had managed to completely shield Zelda with her body before she felt each dagger pierce into various parts of her body- including a vital spot near where her heart was. Even when she let out a cry, she stood her ground.

The moment the others realized what had happened was when Ghirahim was able to stab a sword right through Fi's back and did not stop running with her stuck on it until he was close to the small group and right near the entrance to the temple where he proceeded to quickly pull the sword out and then grabbed her shoulder to spin her around before repeatedly slashing at the diamond that she had hidden on her chest without stopping at least three times before she finally began to move back and blocked the diamond with her wings before she made to charge up one final attack as three fires began to burn around her.

Something latched onto Fi's neck, torso, and legs, and she quickly turned her head to see Shadow was laying on the ground, half covered with the tattered cloth and missing half of his body. Still, he was able to raise his arm out and forced the darkness that made up his body to extend out and turn into tendrils that were now wrapped around her and were giving off smoke and turning to dust. Even so, the dark version of Hylia's current reincarnation- of the very first Link- continued to hold on and gave Fi a determined glare as he gritted his teeth and narrowed his brow at her.

This gave Ghirahim enough time to finally take his sword and ram it right through Fi's crystal as hard as he could- not enough to kill her, but enough to significantly weaken her to the point that he knew she would need years to recover from the injury.

Seeing that Ghirahim had won, Shadow let go off Fi while Bethany knelt beside Jayce, who had fallen to the ground and was now bleeding from her injuries.

Fi turned her head back to Ghirahim- no emotion or reaction to her injury was seen in her eyes, other than fatigue- and it did little to add to his satisfaction in his victory.

"When I see you again in eighteen years time," Ghirahim panted with a metallic echo in his voice "you will not be this fortunate enough to escape from death again."

"In eighteen years time, I will complete what I set out to do." Fi panted as she slowly began to become enveloped in a soft light. "And I will make your Mistress know true suffering." Her voice became more of an echo before she turned white, changed shape, fell to the ground and turned back into her true form before his very eyes.

Ghirahim silently picked up the fallen sword and glanced at the cracked gem on it's guard before turning around and teleporting himself to Liam.

 _Wait for it, wait for it._ Zant told himself as he began to keep a careful eye on Midna and when she would take out the mirror. He just avoided a barrage of wolves that she sent out and now he waited to see what she would do next. She was getting close to her limit so she had to be-

Then she did it- she took the mirror out again and summoned out several spears, along with a bridge that was on each side of him. He readied a powerful orb of magic in each hand and thankfully his long sleeves hid what he was doing. He allowed the magic to grow and build up as he hurried towards her and began to dodge each spear and vanish and reappear to avoid each bridge. It was when she raised the mirror up that he took his chance.

A powerful blast of magic escaped from the mirror and she made to move it from one side to another. With all the quick thinking of a good tactician who had the luck of knowing his opponent, Zant vanished but instead of reappearing in the spot that was initially in the blast's path, he appeared right at the very end of the magical beam and shot one round of a orb of magic at Midna before following it up with another at the mirror.

"SON OF A-!" Midna screamed but she had no time to react as one blast of magic hit her square in the chest while the other slammed right into the mirror. Zant didn't bother to watch when it shattered into pieces and instead he teleported right in front of Midna and slammed his whole body into her- knocking her off her canon- and right onto the ground several feet below.

Midna growled and struggled to get Zant off of her, but he held his grip on her arms as he slowly moved away and picked her up off the ground.

"Let go of me!" Midna yelled and tried to do a spell against him, but Zant quickly sent out his own burst of magic into her and she could feel the circulation of her power grow numb to the point that all she could send out was a few sparks.

"Its the end of the line Midna." Zant's voice came out in an unnaturally calm tone. "The mirror is destroyed for good and there's no where you can run."

Midna gritted her teeth in rage before letting out a furious cry into the heavens. It did not faze Zant, even as she tried to claw at his helmet and kick at him, but he held still.

"WHY?!" Midna yelled. "Why can't you let me be?! I have no place in our world anymore!"

"And neither in this one." Zant replied. "You will not be able survive in the light without the protection of time or Ganondorf's magic."

"You know what they'll do!" Midna cried out. "They'll lock me up in the darkness and rip my magic out of me! You can't put me to sleep this time, Zant!"

"Then maybe you should have listened to your better conscience." Zant allowed his helmet to come off so he could see her face to face. "What happened to my best friend, Midna? Why did you allow Ganondorf to send you onto this path?"

"IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT!" Midna screamed and there was no denying the trace of sorrow hiding underneath the anger. "WHY DO YOU KEEP CARING ABOUT WHAT I DO WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR SINS TO CARRY?!"

"Because maybe I realized what was wrong with me just in the nick of time." Zant bowed his head. "I had to learn in order to allow myself to become a better person."

Midna panted before she bowed her head in defeat.

"You will have to answer to our people now- I can no longer deny the truth anymore." Zant sighed in regret as he teleported them to Liam. Why did it have to happen to them? Why did fate make them all fools to the gods themselves? What was Midna really hoping to accomplish in staying in this era?

 **-Later-**

In another part of the desert, Liam finally had both portals set up and he watched as Ghirahim flung a familiar sword as hard as he could through the one that lead back to the era of the Sky. The sorcerer knew better than to ask what had happened or why Ghirahim appeared the way he did, and he knew that the portal would aid in erasing Fi's memories of this time period.

Instead he turned his attention towards Zant, who just then reappeared, along with Midna, who he held onto as tight as possible as he approached the portal that lead back to their era. "I swear to Din that there better not be any other escapees from the past that I'm not aware of." Liam growled as he ran a hand through his hair.

As Zant slowly drew closer to the portal, Midna raised her lead up and let out a short, breathless laugh that was devoid of humor and contained a mental and emotional fatigue.

"That's how it is then- in the end I got screwed over by all sides." She began. "So you really are going to let them decide my fate?" She turned around and noticed that there were a few knights nearby, including Ashei and Geode. Both of them stared with grea bitterness at Midna, but especially the Goron who apparently was related to the one she killed off along with the white haired boy.

Her mind began to wander back to Link and Zelda- in them, she saw both herself and Zant. The Zelda who was beaten to near death by her hand was no different than her old friend and she was as passionate about her homeland as she used to be, but the prince had given into his own darkness like she did. And much like Zant, he too had been able to keep it in check with his conscience.

Maybe that's why deep down she hated the both of them and not because of who they were in their past lives. Maybe that was why she hated Zant, since he was able to find the middle ground between both sides of the coin, while she failed to keep the balance inside her.

She then realized that there was one very crucial part of the magic inside her that Zant forgot to stop.

"Zant," She began right as she found herself at mere inches from the portal and decided to make the only good decision for the first time in what felt like forever. She turned her head to the point that she could be able to see the blue sky which represented all that they once had hoped and hated. "Don't try to glorify me for the future generations, ok? Let them know who I really was as the Twilight Princess."

She willed her hair to turn into a hand and it grabbed her head and Zant had no time to act as the hand twisted Midna's head to the point that a horrible cracking sound erupted from her neck.

Zant froze as Midna's body became limp in his grasp and the magical hand dropped and turned back into hair while her head fell down against her collar bone.

Time stopped for Zant as he realized what Midna had done- she had freed herself from him as well as the world in order to escape a fate worse than death. He didn't realize until it was too late that he let go of Midna and watched at the portal pulled the now deceased Twilight Princess back to her own time. Back to her home, where she belonged.

 **-Arbiter's Grounds/Spirit Temple-**

Inside the temple, Zelda was kneeling beside Jayce, who was resting in Bethany's lap, while Kay had taken up the role to help support Shadow. When Ghirahim appeared beside them, he silently observed the reversal of appearances between Zelda and Jayce- though the former had already regained much of her coloring, there was sorrow in her eyes as she stared at the latter, who was already pale from blood loss and trying her hardest to hold on as she slowly took the Master Sword out and tried to hold it towards Zelda.

"It's been an honor to fight alongside you." The knight gave the hero a smile. "You'll bring back the light to our kingdom- I believe you can do it. Please accept the sword once more and show them that you're spirit hasn't been broken yet."

Zelda slowly reached out and placed her hands on the sword- both in good condition, as if one had never been broken to begin with. She then hung her head in the realization of what Jayce had sacrificed to save her life. "What do I tell your daughter?" she asked.

"Tell her the truth." Jayce told her. "I fought to give her a future and," She closed her eyes for one moment and when they opened a second later, they were filled with tears as her smile widened a little more "Tell her that her mother loves her, no matter what path she chooses in life. I will always watch over her when she needs me the most."

"Jayce," Zelda smiled back as she felt the tears come out of her eyes. "I'll tell Isobel that you were a hero."

Jayce's hands dropped away from the Master Sword as her eyes began to drift towards the entrance to the temple. "I would love that," Her voice slowed down as her tear filled eyes drifted to the blue sky outside of the temple- the very sky that Isobel was hopefully looking at at that very moment. "Tell her... tell her what I did... for her... for my Isobel... for my... dearest."

Her eyes slowly closed as she drifted away and she eventually ceased moving in Bethany's hold.

 **-Later-**

Though the reunion of past and future was much welcomed, it came with a mournful silence as the gaps were slowly filled. Too many had died since the past visitors left and they watched as those who had fallen in this battle were gathered to be laid in a place where their bodies could rest before they could be taken back to their families. One of the knights found the mangled body of Nabooru and it was agreed that she too would join the others until they could give her body back to the Gerudo tribe, where they could perform the proper rites.

"We can't let this happen." Darunia tightened his fists as Ruto quietly stood beside him while they observed the last corpse (which was Nabooru's) be taken to a special area that would be sealed away. "If we once made mistakes that allowed Ganondorf to take over Hyrule, then I'll be damned if we let it happen again."

"Especially if this is the fate of Hyrule in this era." Ruto agreed. "I'll be a plate of someone's meal before I let Ganondorf win again."

"Zant?" Liam slowly approached Zant; the king was staring at Arbiter's Grounds and it was hard to read what was going through his mind. "I-" Liam sighed regretfully "I shouldn't have allowed any of this to happen. Midna wouldn't have-"

"She was going to either be executed or lose her power and be imprisoned until her dying breath." Zant cut him off. "She chose her own fate for herself and I have to respect that choice. If there is a time to mourn for her, then it will have to wait. The Midna that I once knew would have wanted that."

"Also," He turned to Liam. "I hope that everyone hasn't been saying 'oh its all my fault' or 'no its my fault' because the way I see it, you all have to get your act together and focus on other matters." He turned his gaze and saw a small group approach. "Especially if you can still try to make a difference."

Bethany helped walk Zelda back towards the knights, as did Kay, who helped carry a figure covered in a cloth that was long enough to drag across the sand behind him. Ghirahim also followed and in his arms was the fallen form of Jayce.

"Zelda!" Proxy yelled as he swiftly flew right into Zelda's collarbone and clung onto her. The girl looked down in surprise, but then she smiled and cupped a hand under the fairy. She glanced up to see the others and looked around to see who still wanted to try to protect Hyrule and who had also risked their lives to try to find her and Link.

"We tried to come as soon as possible." Liam began. "As you can see, we aren't ready to give up just yet. We still want to fight for Hyrule alongside you."

Zelda was unsure what to say as she glanced back to Jayce and tried to think. People risked their lives to save her- they risked never seeing their family again. What could she do without the Triforce of Courage if-

Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Jayce in Ghirahim's arms. Something about the fallen knight was causing something to come to her- a memory of something that she either saw or heard before.

" _Only someone who is strong in mind and heart, and can find a way to awaken the power inside them and their sword can unleash something as powerful as the great spin... And because of the power you have inside, you have a way to control it through that sacred conduct of sword and wielder... I did this, so that you could not only be prepared, but so that you could be independent even from that power itself."_

In the Hero of Twilight's tales, she recounted the one about her father when he held on to what life he had so that he could pass as much as he could to his daughter; the steps and risks he took in order for her to have the future he wanted to give her. Her heart was telling her that this was what he had planned for his daughter- and in turn, herself.

Zelda slowly let go of Bethany and moved away as she took out the Master Sword and held it up. "I remember now," She whispered "you don't need the Triforce to have true power."

"Ganondorf might have the Triforce, but we have something he doesn't." Zelda's voice rose. "He made the mistake of underestimating us. His pride is about to get the best of him because there is nothing we can't do together if we set our mind to it."

"I don't need to go through several dungeons to get stronger." Zelda looked at the knights. "The trials I went through with you all were not the same, but you were the ones who helped give me the strength to press on. I'm not any of the past heroes, but I know what has to be done in order to turn the battle around in our favor. Ganondorf thinks he has won, but its not until one of us dies that the outcome of this war will be decided. I want to prove him wrong about me- about us all."

"Let's kick his butt all the way back to creation!" Proxy cheered.

"Yeah!" Geode pumped a fist in the air. "One last battle!"

"FOR HYRULE!" Groose also pumped a fist in the air.

"FOR ALL OUR FALLEN COMERADES!" Another knight stood up and joined in.

"For both the past and future!" Ruto stood up alongside Darunia.

Gardually each knight and member of the last hope for Hyrule stood up and swore their assistance and rally each other. Zelda glanced to Shadow and he was able to give her a half smile as he still held onto Kay as if to say _'See? I told you so'._ A knight guided Epona by the reigns to Zelda. "I don't know how long you would like to recover, but I think you might want to ride her for awhile." He offered.

Zelda stared in awe at Epona, then she glanced once again to Shadow, who gave a nod to show his blessing for her to ride his horse. She slowly approached the mare, who gently butted her nose into the girl and Zelda responded with an affectionate pat on the space between the horse's nose and, after putting the Master Sword away, she got onto Epona with some help from the knight. In doing so, she felt a sense of completeness, as if she was truly a hero of legend after all. Even as she glanced at everyone's faces, she could see that all of them wanted to give her their full support and it helped build back her confidence.

"Ready to fulfill your destiny?" Proxy asked as Zelda paused on top of the mare.

 _I have a strong feeling that you are destined to surpass your previous incarnations-including the Zelda that I knew._ Ivan's voice rang in her head as she stared at the fairy. _You are going to be the one to show Ganondorf that having the Triforce does not make one invincible._

Zelda broke into a grin as she declared. "This time I'm not going to back down and let the bad guy win. I owe it to everyone here to give it one last shot at victory."

* * *

 **...I realized that I was making an unintentional connection to Pokemon's Giratina in the Era of the Sky, so I kept that line in. :D**

 **And before you ask, no I haven't played Pokemon GO yet.**

 **I have to confess that I did consider killing off a character, but that particular character survived this time. It made sense for Jayce to be the one to die, but Midna's death was a last minute decision. I never intended to kill her off when I planned this fic, but it made sense that she deserved a better send off and for her to take her own fate in her hands.**

 **There was supposed to be a scene at the beginning that involved Zelda having a dream of performing an operatic version of Link's Awakening with her in the role of Marin, but I opted not to since it would have disturbed the flow of the story.**

 **I was waiting a really long time to write out that kiss between Shadow and Zelda and it made me happy to finally do so. I have to admit that one of the two almost did get injured right after the kiss, though this was partly because the timing of the kiss was influenced by part of a certain musical score from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. (For those who are curious, its 'Battle on the Tower' and its the part that goes from 4:41 to 5:07 and then the actual kiss is the bit at 4:56. You'll know which part I'm talking about. )**

 **I tried to give it my all for the duels of Ghirahim vs Fi and Zant vs Midna. Anything I originally intended might have to be moved to the final battle.**

 **Its getting to the point that it might take longer than a month to release new chapters and we might have three chapters to go instead of two since I predict the final battle will need to be split into two chapters. Until then, see you next time.**


	22. Preparing for the finale

**Hey guys, its me again. I wasn't kidding about how long it'll take for each chapter but I'm afraid it'll end up being longer than I had hoped.**

 **You see, I had this chapter mostly completed, but then I realized that there was so much that I could have done that you guys would have wanted to happen sooner than later and it would have made it a lot longer than you would have preferred. In the end, I decided to cut it in two parts, with this chapter as the prologue to the final battle (so now there's still THREE chapters left to do).**

 **(Also I completely forgot that Ashei and Sir Winslow was supposed to be with Impa's group. I have no idea how to correct that horrible error in the story besides coming up with an excuse in this chapter. I'm such an idiot and I apologize for that.)**

 **The other thing is that this semester is going to be the hardest one yet for me. This personal Ganondorf of mine has given me stress, pressure, terror, doubts, and at times I don't even feel like I'm myself. I barely have time to work on this when I'm at my laptop and I try to use my time towards the assignments and other things I need to create in order to aquire a very important credential. I mean on one hand some of the things I get to do can be fun but the other stuff I just mentioned is the downside.**

 **This stupid semester gets in the way of some of my other personal goals to the point that I'm afraid that I will lose sight of my dreams and what I enjoy doing the most. To use one of my favorite quotes from my favorite Pixar movie Wall-E:**

' _ **I don't want to survive! I want to live!'**_

 **I want to give you guys the grand finale you deserve to have. Between the Zelda fics and the other one I was working on this year, you guys gave FAR more reviews and support and I am thankful to know that there is a good reason why I need to finish this story without feeling the need to just get it over with and move on. I know that I don't respond to all the reviews or thank the new followers, but I want you to know that I am glad you have made it this far and put up with all the delays.**

 **I** _ **am**_ **going to defeat my Ganondorf and survive this Fall. I** _ **will**_ **give you the story and the final fights that you desire (and that I was unable to do for the sake of reality in the last chapter). I don't know how long it'll take, but I'll do it, even if I have to break my promise and end up finishing this story in 2017.**

 **And so, it may be awhile before I ever respond to your next reviews, but here are the ones for the previous ones:**

 **HeroAlexa249:** Now you just made me see Zant with glasses, but being a king is more than going nuts and spinning around (like a record). I'm tempted to draw a group picture when this is all over, but time will tell if that is possible. And yes, it is _definitely_ a good day for more bittersweet GoronxZora love. Yes: ALL THE LOVE AND HATE IN THAT CHAPTER IS BEAUTIFUL! :) I'm dying for an actual Beauty and the Beast fan fic between Link and Zelda since there's potential for that (I WANT A NEW TRAILER DANG IT! CUT IT OUT WITH THE LITTLE TEASERS, DISNEY!)

 **mysteriousguy898- wait you call yourself The Unplanner nowadays:** I STILL need to draw those out like you wished, though I would need to find the time first (curse this semester). Now if I had wanted to push the rating, then things in these fics would be _much_ more graphic, but I prefer to keep things tame since extreme violence can be really cheap and gory if used too much (plus this is Zelda and not Game of Thrones).

It was such a relief to finally write that kiss- Link may have gotten a few already, Shadow didn't get much of one the last time it happened, and the timing felt appropriate after all the crap they had to endure beforehand. I'm trying to recall if Link ever got any kisses from anyone besides... oh wait, there was the cartoon but that doesn't count.

Fi doesn't remember getting beaten by Ghirahim in the future during Skyward Swaps because of the rules of the timeline needing to be repaired and almost everything needing to be reset back to the way it was (Ghirahim somehow lucked out in avoiding this the second time, as we saw when Zelda pulled out the Master Sword). Plus I wanted a good reason for her not going after Link at the very moment he was born in her timeline.

Or we could just make this easy and said Liam made it so that her memory was erased. IDK *shrugs*

It seemed ironically fitting for Midna to go out that way and I think she was so broken over how far she had fallen that she would have wanted to take matters into her own hands (I just realized what I did there, please pardon the unintentional pun). Whatever happened to Zant in the canon version of TP would have happened to her in this story and it was a last minute decision to give her a dignified send off.

Ganondorf made some dumb mistakes in both canon and in this fic. I don't know if it's because the writers get lazy or if its the general lack of foresight. He'll make some pretty dumb mistakes in the final battle (mostly guaranteed due to canon) but one of them leads to one of my favorite moments in the fic thus far.

 **Random Swap Fan:** I personally think that was the real Ivan, but it could be Zelda having a bittersweet hallucination if you want to see it like that.

I can't really spoil much when it comes to Shadow but I think you'll be more than happy to see what I got planned.

I was dying to write out that kiss and that final confrontation for awhile. Shadow's contribution was intended and I kind of wanted it to be as if Shadow/Link was subconsciously getting back at Fi for what happened in the later chapters of Skyward Swaps. Or you could see it as Link getting back at Fi for being annoying if one hates her that much (I like Fi, but I imagine someone must have enjoyed that scene for that very reason).

I've tried to give everyone a fair balance in the final battle so far but I realized that there was more that I could do to make the first half better, which is why it needs more time to develop. Zelda technically had a go with Midna and Fi in this entire series at one point or another and Ghirahim and Zant being the ones to take them down on their own was more meaningful. And yeah, I might have been inspired by that one scene with Midna's 'twist' (I kind your choice of words highly amusing. :D )

As for scrapper, I can give you a hand *kicks him into the mouth of one of the like likes*

Me: THAT'S FOR THE STUPID MOUNTAIN CLIMB YOU FORCED US TO DO, JERK FACE! *realizes he was part of your army* Oh... uh... whoops. *sweatdrop* please don't kill me? *sighs as she heads to the like like* this is gonna suck *jumps into the like like. Five seconds later, the like like spits her and scrapper out. Author is now getting sick from the foul smell and other things that were in the like like* Ugh, I think I'm gonna be sick. *barfs into the bushes*

Shadow weakly laughs from under a large sun protecting umbrella.

 **Princess Luna Alicorn:** Last time you read up to chapter 10. Uh, I hope you weren't too upset about what happened to Midna in this story if you are a fan of her. I tried to give her some dignity in her final fate.

 **Keiko Braginski:** I can see a mental image of either version singing that song in the rain, looking through a window of their respective crush. Also, I think you might be happy to know that Vaati makes an appearance in this chapter so you'll find out what happened to him. (Vaati is pretty attractive, I'll admit. I had him as a key chain on something of mine last year.)

 **May the way of the Hero lead to the Triforce. Now if you'll excuse me, I got some bugs to put in a jar before I resume my work *gets a large net and runs off while innocently humming Molgera's Theme***

* * *

 **Chapter 22**

 **Preparing for the finale**

Alfon stared through the bars of his cell at those who were also trapped down here with him in the castle dungeons and he tried once more to see if any of them could have a way to help orchestrate an escape plan before he gave up and sat down.

"Even if it were possible Your Majesty, not one of us could be able to go up against Ganondorf as he is now." Vaati reminded the king from his corner of the cell. He looked down at his hands which were not only chained together, but had also been turned to stone to keep him from using his magic. This also added weight to his arms and forced him to either sit down or else lift them if he wanted to stand. "I see that karma is best served on the rocks." He muttered to himself as also tried to come up with an escape plan but could not figure out how to get around his current dilemma.

The door to the dungeons creaked open and allowed a light source stronger than that from the fires of the torches to light up part of the halls before it closed. The particular footsteps and the sounds associated with them were now only too familiar and invoked dread in the prisoners as the footsteps approached Alfon and Vaati's cell. The king turned around in time to see the captives of the cell across from him–Coralie, the youngest of the three Zora princesses, a few Hylian farmhands, and a Rito girl from a certain island by the name of Medli–back away into the furthest wall as the footsteps grew louder. Finally their owner stood in front of Alfon with an unsettling hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Some of my minions say that your niece is still in Hyrule and played a hand in freeing the captives in the caves." Ganondorf informed the king as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I find it interesting that I found myself in an era where there is more than one child in the Royal Family. Especially since the girl looks so... familiar." He mused. "She almost resembles the most common depiction of the Hero of the Sky in your works of art."

Alfon dared not say a word; He did not want Ganondorf to get under his skin so easily, but unfortunately Vaati did not take those words about his student as well as the king. "She is none of your concern!" He spat.

"But she is, Wind Sorcerer." Ganondorf addressed him. "All members of Hylia's bloodline are a concern and she would prove to be more useful to me alive in my revenge towards her brother." He smiled. "You don't think I am aware of how powerful the bloodline is, do you? Once I finally complete the ritual I will be more powerful than the gods themselves. With that power, I can look for the branches of your precious family tree and cut them all off before another reincarnation can be born again. It doesn't matter how many their are in the world–despite what you may think, I can be surprisingly patient."

"Was getting the Triforce worth it all in the end?" Alfon finally cut in. "I know your origins Ganondorf–where you come from, why you must have originally desired the Triforce, and your grudge against us. You desired power over achieving peace with us–you could have chosen a less destructive path for yourself and for others–and yet you lost sight of why you wanted power to begin with, didn't you? Tell me, Ganondorf Dragmire–King of the proud Gerudo–did you ever felt true happiness in anything besides your pursuit for the Triforce? Did you once consider that perhaps going after the Triforce would cause you misery? Do you even know what you will do once you achieve your goals and try to find happiness in trying to rule over a land of infertility and death, let alone an entire world?"

"You are trapped in an endless cycle of hatred." Alfon continued. "It is never too late to pull yourself out of it and find peace."

Ganondorf only let out an amused chuckle. "It is the misery of my enemies that give me satisfaction and pleasure, oh throne-less king. I don't need happiness nor peace to be satisfied with my life."

"And with that goes the last of your humanity." Vaati coldly retorted. "So much power, yet so little courage and wisdom to balance it out. I bet you take such pleasure in suffering that you don't have the guts to just finish them off."

"Believe this," An eerie stillness overcame Ganondorf as the amusement vanished out of his eyes into that of something cold and dark. "When all hope dies from their eyes and they can no longer fight back–when they cease to believe that their helpless determination can no longer get them through and no hope or help shall come–that is when I will finish them off."

Ganondorf turned and walked away while all the prisoners watched in horror. "Please let them be safe, please let them be safe." Medli silently prayed in a quiet whisper under her breath as she clasped her hands together. "Lord Valoo and Mother Din please help them."

As Ganondorf slowly left the cells, Alfon took note of the Rito's prayer and also quietly prayed to the Goddesses for aid. Others also quietly joined in as they realized that all they could do was pray for some sort of miracle, yet the only one who did not pray let out a chuckle of amusement as Ganondorf passed his cell.

"Even your own shadow has taken physical the form of your twisted soul, Dragmire." The Happy Mask Salesman nonchalantly commented. Ganondorf turned around in mild curiosity at this gutsy prisoner, though he felt a strange, unfamiliar wave of magic coming off from the grinning salesman. "Who are you?" He demanded.

"I? I am but a humble Mask Salesman." The salesman bowed before he looked up and cheerfully added. "Or perhaps I am a humble servant to the Goddesses of creation. Perhaps I am an agent of Hylia–the God of Time himself. Perhaps I watch over the many lands of this world or perhaps I can peer into past and future." He formed circles with his thumbs and index fingers and his eyes peered at Ganondorf through the mock-binoculars he made. "Perhaps I am someone you've met before? Or perhaps I can see into souls and know who the owners really are. Or perhaps I am just of my rocker and messing with your thick head!" He let out a crackling laugh as he threw his arms up. "I see you as the Boar and the Boar's form is right behind you! I see the Boar and I see him born anew!"

"Fool." Ganondorf muttered and left, though he failed to see that perhaps the laughing salesman was correct about one thing–his shadow had taken on the appearance of a monster made up of flickering dark flames, with glowing reddish–yellow eyes.

 **-?-**

Shadow groaned as he awoke and rolled his head to one side to see that the knights of Hyrule were walking towards what he was sure was somewhere near the wide fields near the castle. He could see that the sky had turned a sickly yellow and there were dark clouds up above them, yet there was no sign of the wretched sun.

He then realized that in addition to having that tattered cloth completely covering most of his body (and also his face until he turned his head), someone was carrying him in a bridal style. He struggled to reach and pull the cloth down enough to see who was carrying him and he was taken by surprise at exactly who it was that was carrying him.

"I see you're awakening from your slumber." Ghirahim looked down in amusement–though Shadow couldn't see the smirk on his face, his visible eye was enough for him to see the emotion behind his nonchalant words.

"Oh Gods, its just what I asked for." Shadow groaned in a hoarse voice and let his head fall back. "I always wanted to be carried like a bride. Now I'll I ask for is some cake and wine and then it will _really_ be the best day of my life." In truth, his voice felt a little sore from his body's slow recovery and he was dying for something to drink to ease the feeling. He could feel his arm and leg growing back, though the process was making him really itchy in those places. "Did you carry me this whole time?!" He demanded. "I must weigh like about–"

"Your current form's density isn't that much, and the loss of two limbs makes you lighter than you would think. Plus I can carry much heavier things than you." Ghirahim then let out something that was like a laugh and a snort combined. "What?" Shadow demanded.

"Its such a reversal of roles." Ghirahim admitted with another chuckle. "When Hylia took me in, I was in a similar state and he was the one who looked out for me. You're so close to reacting the same as I did that I can't help but find it amusing."

Shadow let out a laugh of his own before he let out a deep sigh. "I must be a real disappointment to you then. Hylia was said to be a great Deity without any faults and who could do no wrong. My stupidity caused a lot of destruction and people died in the process. If I hadn't interfered, then Zelda wouldn't have been tortured and those that died today would have still been with us."

"To be honest, I find this version of you more enjoyable than His Sire." Ghirahim confessed. "He was far too restrained in certain aspects."

Shadow hesitated as he pondered over his current fate and the events that led to this moment.

"Can I confess something?" He asked. "I'm terrified of the sacrifices we might have to make in order to win, but I'm more afraid of what comes after. I know I screwed up so many times and I try to confront my flaws and make better choices, but I'm worried that I don't have what it takes to be the rightful ruler of Hyrule. I used the Dark Mirror before and my personality was already altered to the way it is now. When I gained back my original body, this personality hadn't been able to remerge back with the old one and it was almost like I was having two personalities inside me. I don't know if it was because of that that I got Zelda into trouble, but I'm worried that my mind will be too shattered to be of any further use to my people. I already gave in to my hatred and desire to kill things, and I was able to bring myself back to sanity when it mattered, but I'm still afraid that it'll happen again and I won't be able to stop myself. It doesn't help that this form can get pretty addicting either." Shadow sighed as he admitted the truth. "I'm nothing like Hylia or my predecessors; I'm just a screw up."

"It is terrible to have to deal with something that feels like its not in your entire control." Shadow realized that Zant must have been listening to him and he turned his head to the point that he could see the Twili. "I too have my faults and I admit that I am prone to certain outbursts that most consider to be bouts of great insanity. Yet I try to remind myself of things that make me happy or the reasons I need to stay calm. I have to try to manage both the insanity with my rational thinking–I can't deny the worst parts about myself because they are part of who I am, but there are ways that I can use them to my advantage. I'm not alone and you certainly aren't alone, and you clearly have many friends who will be there for you to help when you take the throne."

Shadow then remembered the words of his uncle. "My uncle said that no one is destined to be perfect, and if we were then it makes things harder to appreciate what makes us special; that and he implied that I need to get my butt off the ground and move on with my life. So I'll be damned if I allow one more person to die or get hurt because of me."

Zant smiled. "You know, I keep forgetting the importance of who it is that you are related to, but I see the both of them in you. I think they would have been proud of you; neither of them were perfect, but they both turned out more than alright after they got their acts together."

"And you are better than Hylia in one important thing." Ghirahim told Shadow. "As annoying as flaws and emotions can be, you have a better understanding of them then he did. That and you know what it means to live and make the most of what little you have left."

"Heh, all hail Link–the flawed King of Hyrule." Shadow let out a weak chuckle. "Maybe that'll get people laughing again."

"You guys each owe me twenty rupees." Sidian quietly told Groose, Pipit, and Karane while all four had been standing close by and listening to the conversation. "You can pay up when we all get out of this alive." He added as he began to pick up the pace and walked ahead of them.

"Does that even count if he knew who he was beforehand?" Groose hissed back as the other two quietly groaned.

"Hey, uh Lady Ashei?" Kay turned to the commander. "Why did you and Sir Winslow join us again? I thought you were going to join Impa."

"She believed that our help would be needed at the desert." Ashei told the knight. "She also felt it would be better if there weren't too many members in her group."

"Huh." That was the only response that Kay could come up with before he turned to Zelda, who still rode atop Epona while Proxy flew beside her. "Hey are you feeling better? That was an imitation of the Great Fairy's tears. Even though I see that most of your injuries were healed, I don't know just how effective it was."

"I was a little dizzy and it hurt, but I suppose combining it with the red potion helped." Zelda replied.

"I still would stay on the horse if I were you." Sidian cautioned as soon as he got close enough. "You need to conserve as much energy as you can; There's no telling what will happen next or if the potion will last for very long."

"I hope so." Zelda admitted; She hated the idea of being the only one on horseback, but she was very aware just how important she was in this war. She could not let the death of her allies be in vain.

It wasn't until much later that the group finally approached the location where Impa said she and the others would meet up with them.

"General Impa!" A female knight pointed towards the approaching group. Impa glanced towards her direction and her heart soared at the sight of her fellow knights; she ran towards them and Zelda got off Epona, only to find herself be hugged by Impa.

"Thank Hylia you are safe." Impa breathlessly said to the girl. "I'm sorry if I pressured you–"

"Its alright." Zelda returned the hug. "Link and I are safe thanks to the others and we had some help from some old friends of ours."

Impa opened her eyes and she was about to ask when she saw Ruto and Darunia come up towards her and they waved. "Were here to help out." Ruto told the Sheikah.

"As a good friend once said– whether in this lifetime or the next, and whether or not we can see eye to eye and I hope that we may always be together as one. We won't let Ganondorf take over our home in this lifetime if we can help it."

"And we are ready to have another shot at taking him out for good." Darunia grinned.

Impa smiled. "You all have my gratitude, Chieftain Darunia and Princess Ruto." She then frowned. "Where is Link?"

"Impa." She heard a familiar voice behind the Goron and the Zora and she hurried around them to see Ghirahim giving her a strange smile as he held Shadow, who stuck his hand out of the cloth to give the General a small wave.

Impa was worried as to why the prince was in that form (and being carried, which was never a good sign) and she walked towards him as Ghirahim helped him get down and stand, while keeping a hold of his shoulders. Shadow pulled the cloth off his head and she could see faint dark marks on the majority of one side of his face as well as a familiar look of guilt as if he had done something bad that might displease her.

"I'm glad to see you're alright." Shadow said before he bit his lip and began to apologize. "The reason I'm me again is–"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as Impa pulled him out of Ghirahim's grip and hugged him as tight as she could. "I don't care what happened, so long as you are alive." Impa firmly told him.

Shadow blinked in stunned silence before he could allow himself to return the hug and felt himself be grateful towards the General. "Thanks Impa."

Impa then let go of him and was about to say something else, but without any support to keep him upright, Shadow let out a panicked cry and began to fall. When Impa was unable to catch him in time (party by trying to reach for the hand that he was still trying to rejuvenate) he crashed right into the dirt and lost a good part of his dignity in the process.

Without even getting up, Shadow lifted a finger into the air and said with a slight wince "Still growing back a good chunk of this body."

 **-After a long explanation or two (One of which was carefully edited)-**

As soon as everything got back to normal, they began to go over what they had learned as well as how to plan the upcoming battle.

"Ganondorf has changed Hyrule Castle into his own fortress and the surrounding lands are now wastelands." Impa began. "There are cracks in the grounds where something red is pulsating, and I would not be surprised if it were some sort of fire based element."

"So we can't really use the home turf to our advantage anymore if Ganondorf changed it that drastically." Liam stated.

"Volga told me that there is a possibility that Ganondorf is going to perform a ritual so we will have to act fast if that is indeed his plan." Impa continued.

"We will still need to be careful, but once Ganondorf sees us or knows we are coming, we will definitely need to act fast." Shadow nodded as he kept the cloak around him to cover his recovering limbs.

"I heard that prisoners were being kept in the castle, including the King and Vaati." Impa added. "We may have need of their assistance if we can rescue them."

"Once Ganondorf is out, I can get in and try to break any possible spells he might have set up, though I may need your help." Liam told Impa.

"He'll also have a lot of monsters–possibly the strongest of the strongest–and we'll have to deal with those first before he comes out to play." Ashei added. "Just because he lost the sword spirit and the Twili, it doesn't mean there are others that can make up for the loss."

"We might need to pit the most powerful against the most powerful." Shadow looked around and then at the warriors of the past. "Are you guys up for that?"

"That won't be a problem." Zant replied but Ruto was more hesitant. "But not all of us are powerful and fire is a lot more dangerous for me especially." She told him.

"But your water magic could put the fires out and I am more than willing to help you out." Geode offered and the Zora gave him a smile of gratitude.

"You will be the biggest target, Zelda." Shadow warned Zelda, who waited to see how she would be a part of this plan. "I'd recommend staying on Epona and avoid getting ambushed for as long as you can. Once Ganondorf comes in, he'll want to go after you, so conserve your energy carefully."

"You might be more powerful as Shadow, but we'll need Link once Ganondorf comes out." Liam told Shadow. "You are the only person besides Zelda who specializes in light magic and we'll need you to use light arrows."

"I hate to say it but I might need a healing fairy for my real body, otherwise were all screwed." Shadow confessed. "And you might need to break my injuries again in case they didn't set right while I was out." (There was a round of wincing amongst the group at the mere thought of having to do that.)

"There might be a fairy fountain near the castle, other than the one we've seen." Proxy added. "Maybe someone could get one to help you out."

"Whatever we must do, we have to be careful." Shadow said. "This could end up being the last battle for some of us, but as long as we remember what we are fighting for, then we better try to take as many as we can to the other side with us."

 _I don't know what I'll do when I face Ganondorf._ Zelda quietly thought to herself. _I know how he fights now and I'll have to think of a way to get past his tricks and end him for good._ She tried to tell herself it would be alright, but it was a lie. She could still remember the misery and the injuries Ganondorf caused to her (she could still feel the memory her own sword injuring her and her bones breaking by his dark magic) and a part of her was terrified of facing him again.

Despite all that she told herself and told the others, could she really be able to do the impossible?

 **-Ganon's Tower-**

The once beautiful lands that surrounded the castle were now barren: the waters were scarce, the trees were black and leafless, the ground was now just dirt with cracks that had sinister red glares of either magic or fire hiding underneath, as if the earth had been wounded and steaming blood was about ready to ooze out. Strange, large tridents were scattered across the landscape and their blades glowed with that strange redness that hid under the earth, along with purple and black flames. The castle town was in ruins and monsters ran rampant through the streets and the once mighty castle that was home to the many generations of descendants of both Hylia's reincarnation and his chosen hero was now a twisted mockery covered in darkness and in red fire like magic. As if to further twist the knife, the largest and most elaborate of the tridents was jammed right in the castle itself and the tip of the handle not only seemed to be able to touch the sky, but an ominous dark storm that surrounded it seemed as if it were trying to suck all the clouds and the sky itself up into it.

And on top of the highest point of the castle was none other than Ganondorf himself.

"If only you both could reawaken like I had done." He commented as he gazed upon one of his long desired achievements. "If only you could see what I had been able to do to your precious lands of green and winds of life."

"Link–no–Hylia, the failure of a god." Ganondorf chuckled as the Triforce came out of him. "If only you could gaze upon your beloved land and see how barren it is. See how your lack of foresight failed you and the girl you condemned to be a part of our war. See your precious treasure now in my hands. See your legacy burned away by the fires of war."

"And you–" His grin widened at the thought of his most hated opponent "–the girl who continuously bested me, even at her weakest–" He closed his eyes as a carefully hidden memory came into the front of his mind. A memory of a child who undid all his careful planning without even lifting a sword.

" _I've seen him for what he really is." Without lowering her right hand from the Queen's gaze, the little girl looked at Ganondorf and gave him a dark glare with eyes that belonged to an adult and not a child. "He will cause nothing but destruction and death, which would be a mercy to those he brainwashed and tortured. He killed my friend–my_ brother _–in one of his last acts of cruel defiance. He will not hesitate to do it again."_

"Try as you might, girl, you are still the little brat who ruined my plans all those years ago." Ganondorf declared. "Soon I will undue everything you had fought for and all your loved ones will die in agony alongside you. But do not worry–for I'll permanently reunite you with your fairy companion soon enough."

The Triforce began to glow and he cupped his hands around it. "Soon the world itself will be mine and not even time itself or the gift of reincarnation that was bestowed upon you both will be on your side any more." He grinned again as his eyes brightened with an eerie yellow glow–the only other clue besides that of his nature of the monster that was hiding within him.

The monster that would soon come out and unleash its wrath.

 **TO BE CONTINUED….**

* * *

 **-Somewhere in Hyrule's equivalent of Heav- err, you know the drill-**

"What the heck is happening now?" Nabooru looked up from the game that she, Koji, Orik, and now Jayce were playing, and noticed a strange glass bottle with a strange contraption inside it, along with the three weirdoes who were now trapped inside it and pounding away at the glass.

"Get us out of here!" Din furiously yelled at one of two figures waiting outside the bottle.

"You get us out of here before we make sure your real self suffers more stress and work loads than you are already dealing with!" Farore warned.

"You already got your revenge!" Nayru yelled at the very smug female that was watching them from beyond the glass.

"Letting my readers beat you up is one version of revenge, but I didn't get my chance yet." HolyMaiden24 gave the Goddesses a wide grin. "So now I give you a taste of my revenge, with a dose of karma in the mix– you forced me to listen to bad songs and now I'm forcing you to listen to ear worms that you won't be able to get out of your head!"

She pressed a button on a remote control and the goddesses were thus exposed to the glory (or annoyance, depending on who you ask) that is the opening theme to the 80's cartoon _Inspector Gadget._

" _NO!"_

" _DAMNIT, NO!"_

" _MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP!"_

The goddesses were already trying to break out of the bottle with their magic; it was magic proof and thus didn't break, but it caused the spells to ricochet off the walls and almost hit the casters themselves.

Now imagine Beethoven's _Ode to Joy_ and you'll have an idea of what the author felt like. Granted that because Darkrai accidentally used his elbow to hit the play button on a CD player that was somehow conveniently placed right next to him, but you get the idea.

" _FINALLY!"_ Holymaiden24 threw her hands out in triumph and collapsed to her knees as she cried tears of pure joy and immense relief. "After a year and three fan fics, I _finally_ got back at them! I finally got to do something awesome on my own!" She clasped her hands together and let out a laugh. "Thank the fates my real self got into watching those episodes and getting the idea for it!"

"I honestly don't know if I should be happy for you or creeped out." Darkrai (former jailer and the one forced to help torture the author) informed the author. "I mean, those are ear worms that people tend to like."

"But they're called so for a reason." The author grinned before looking a her list. "Now what should I do next?"

On the list read some of the following, in her handwriting: _Carmelldansen, Mortal Kombat (MORTAL KOMBAT!), Stronger than You from Steven Universe, Be Our Guest (WHERE'S THE NEW TRAILER FOR THE LIVE ACTION REMAKE, DAMNIT?!) Pokemon Theme, DIgimon theme, Phantom of the Opera (Time's Trade version with author's bad high note at end), one of the Naruto opening themes, that one song everyone hates, What does the Fox say, reader's choice, Dark of the night, Oppa Gangham (Gundam?) style, None of these songs belong to me, why do I have to keep doing these disclaimers? etc._

"AND YOUR EDITING STILL SUCKS!" A voice from the bottle yelled.

"Heh, perfect." She made her choice and looked at the remote. "I know just the song."

 **THAT PART IS NOT TO BE CONTINUED**

 **...MAYBE**


	23. The return of the Boar

So I finally was able to get the new chapter done. The majority of this WAS completed during August, but you will soon see why it needed more care put into it.

I just hope my editing was better THIS time around.

The semester has been ok, but I have to do a lot of writing and my thumb is getting sore from what I could only guess is over-use of typing, writing, and drawing. Plus the fact that I started playing Undertale in September might have added to the cause. (I really enjoy the game, even though I already encountered massive spoilers beforehand. For those of you who are wondering, I really like the Storyshift AU and I can't help but compare these fics to the Underfell AU for reasons you might already know. Also my Halloween costume is heavily inspired by Sans, who is my favorite of all the characters.)

 **The Unplanner: It's been awhile since I responded, so I don't know if the answers will be similar. HMS is more like a cosmic spectator at this point and the mask is actually useless since the events of MM already happened at this point. But Majora vs Ganon would be awesome! Funny that you mentioned the Great Fairy at this point...**

 **I think I already said why Ganondorf has access to Demise's memories. If Zelda had stayed as the GD in this fic, she would probably be just as mentally messed up as Ganondorf is at this point. Also I think I already talked about Fi in a pm with you.**

 **Yes I've seen those Undertale parodies and they are great. Even better: I've officially been an Undertale fan since September.**

 **Ganondorf is going to get dunked on so hard when the time comes...**

 **HeroAlexa249: Thanks :). Kili would likely approve of GeodexRuto: I can see him cheering from the sidelines. I can see Zant with glasses, but have you seen the videos for Hyrule Total War? There is a Twili butler that I think is basically Zant with a monocle. :D**

 **And yay for maternal Impa!**

 **PokemonTrainer4700: I really wanted HMS to interact with Ganondorf, especially since he has the potential to be an epic troller (troll?) He really is the only person most likely to say that stuff to Ganondorf and not give a **** about what could happen.**

 **NYAN CAT?! *grins evily* and yes I am familiar with GladOs? Which song are you thinking about when it comes to her?**

 **And you are welcome. Sanity has been tested in more ways than one, but everyone is staying strong.**

 **CupcakeGal25: Agitha's weapon IS light based... but I don't think it would be able to pack the same punch as the Master Sword or light arrows. Yet it would be the ultimate equivalent to the joke weapon used for every final battle.**

 **Hmm... that would make a good outtake for the next chapter, come to think of it. Also thank you for your support. :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 23**

 **The return of the Boar**

What was left of the knights of Hyrule and their companions gazed upon their now ruined homeland. While they had expected that the land would change from Ganondorf's victory, they never expected such a drastic change. It was as if they had found themselves in a twisted land that was a surreal nightmare of the place they once called home. To make matters worse, many monsters now dotted the landscape which would make the final confrontation much more difficult than any battle they had faced.

The sight alone caused doubt in most of the members of the knights, though others were not as fazed.

"I guess now isn't a good time to make a rousing speech." Liam couldn't help but say to the others. "Especially now that its either do or die." He turned to Zelda, who was on Epona at that time. She still bore the blood stains from her previous torture and though her hair was tied back the way it was originally, not even that was alone to restore the psychological damage that was hiding somewhere inside her. "What do you think? Any last words?"

Zelda turned her gaze away from her ruined homeland and glanced around at the others who waited for her. There was no telling if she would ever see most of the knights alive after this day, while those from the past could not afford to die. It was still scary to be doing this when they barely had a chance–including herself. And yet she recalled a song that she once sang to them from a time that now felt like many eons ago.

" _Take courage to face the trials. Ne'r fear the way shall be clear_. _Keep hope and stay strong and you shall go far, and your heart shall lead you along_."

Remembering the song of the hero gave her courage to accept the inevitable. She could see the complete confidence reflected in the eyes of those who still put their faith in her. Even those who knew her in a past life gave her a familiar comfort that gave her the courage that she was known to have. Ganondorf could have beaten her down once, and yet here she was, ready to take him on once more, thanks to the support of all these wonderful people.

She came this far and there was no way she could turn back now.

"Its like Shadow said: as long as we remember to work together as those before us have done in the past, then we stand a chance." Zelda finally said. "Even if you think you're alone, you never are alone so long as you know that we will be with each other in some way or another. We're going to have to do twice the extra effort this time around and if Ganondorf wins, then we'll have to give him as much hell as we can while we're still alive." She took a deep breath before she continued. "Whatever happens, I'm proud to call you all my companions and allies."

She turned around to face the battleground and the ruined castle. Those many monsters dotting the landscape may initially seem like a threat but she and the others were ready to make the first move. After all, the first batch were only mere pests, compared to what was to come. "Please tell me that you still have one of those bombs of yours, Shadow."

"I do now after I had a chance to rob it off one of you." Shadow–who had now managed to completely regrow his arm and leg–grinned as he began to take a bomb out. Almost everyone (except Zelda, Impa, Liam, and a few stoic members) quickly backed away in alarm or even flinched, while Ghirahim, Zant, Agitha, Ruto, and Daruina were confused as to what was going on.

"Oh Nayru." Bethany hissed in fear as Shadow took out a second bomb and began to toss it up and down in his hand. "He's going to kill us before Ganondorf gets a chance to do it."

Shadow let out a sadistic grin as the bombs in his hands grew in size. " _Ten seconds_." He sang out in triumph before he tossed the bombs out like they were bowling balls, with each one going in a different direction.

 **-Final stage-**

 **-Ganondorf's Tower-**

Ganondorf had his eyes closed in concentration and focused on the Triforce's power but he became distracted when a loud explosion rang out somewhere in the east, followed by a symphony of dying, howling and screeching monsters from that same area.

He opened his eyes and looked out to see a huge sea of dark clouds from somewhere in the east and he quickly recognized it as not only a form of smoke from a bomb, but the sheer size of the bomb cloud came from a _very_ specific kind of bomb. Thanks to having lived through a select few eras, he knew exactly _who_ the bombs belonged to.

"Sire!" A poe materialized near Ganondorf. "Its the accursed knights of Hyrule! They have the prisoners from the Valley of Seers with them! Not only did they bring back their warriors from the past, but the hero is here with the Master Sword too!"

Although Ganondorf believed that there was no need to feel fazed–that he had the Triforce and that they were all going to die in vain–he could feel that old anger boiling inside him once more.

"So Midna and Fi failed to do one simple task?" He grunted in annoyance. Of _course_ they wouldn't. "Alert the others; If its a battle they want, then its a battle they shall have."

"As you command." The poe vanished into a puff of magic and Ganondorf turned towards the bomb cloud.

"The awakening ritual needs more time..." He closed his eyes and summoned two Argoroks out in front of the tower. "Argoroks!" He commanded. "Distract them!"

 **-Back with our Warriors-**

The smoke cleared away and though the knights could see that many monsters had fallen, more were coming to replace them.

"QUIT STALLING AND MOVE!" Shadow yelled as he ran as fast as he could towards the monsters. He forced his body to create duplicates of himself, with each one gaining a copy of a particular weapon, from Zant's scimitars to Darunia's hammer. All of them charged forth in sadistic delight.

"HECK YES!" Bethany yelled as the knights charged forward and they all began to divide up.

"Stay with me, My Lady!" Geode commanded to Ruto as they hurried out. "I'll make sure the fires won't harm you! You must conserve your magic wisely!"

"I'll go ahead and find the fountain!" Proxy told Zelda as he flew out. Zelda looked around before seeing a keep to hide out in but stay close enough to the battle to provide aid, if possible. As she raised her sword high in the air, she let out a yell and kicked Epona, who galloped onwards into the fray.

"You are certainly not going alone!" Zelda glanced to the side to see that Ghirahim was running alongside her and Epona. "I have the advantage of a wide range of attacks, so I can offer the most protection for you!"

"But what if you get killed?!" Zelda yelled back. "You have Hylia's sword with you and if that gets destroyed you might die! You might not even get to see your Mistress!"

"You _are_ my Mistress!" Ghirahim yelled back. "I already failed to protect you in time and I can't let it happen again!" As if on cue, a bunch of monsters came rushing out and Ghirahim took his sword out. He made a few cuts through the air and sent daggers out towards the beasts, who fell back and were unlucky enough to get directly cut in half if they hadn't fallen to the ground in time. Zelda herself quickly took a swipe at a monster before it could attack Epona and let out a laugh. "You've come a long way since we first met in Skyloft, haven't you?" She asked.

"Argoroks!" A knight yelled out a warning as the two dragon like beast came forth. Both Liam and Zant heard this cry and Liam yelled "I'll take the one heading south!" before heading towards that direction.

"I'll take the northern most one!" Zant yelled as he shot several blasts of magic out at oncoming enemies while Agitha followed alongside him on a great big horned beetle that charged through its share of monsters.

"I'll join you, Liam!" Impa caught up with Liam. "It'll take more than one person to finish it off if we want to conserve our power for Ganondorf!"

"I appreciate that!" Liam yelled as he sent out a jolt of electricity at an oncoming monster.

"GO! GO!" A summoner on Ganondorf's side brought more monsters into battle. "Crush them! Crush them all!"

"Ugh, I forgot how annoying those things can get." Ruto sighed as she cracked her knuckles and then waved her hands out to send out waves of water at the oncoming monsters before she could get to the summoner. "Drink up!" She yelled as she shot a jet of water right into the summoner and he was flung right into a wall before she could turn her attention elsewhere, while Geode backed her up.

"Take this!" The Goron yelled as he sent out his own jets of flames from his staff at the monsters. "This is for Hyrule and for my brother!"

"Got it!" Groose had just set up a Groosenator on top of a keep in record time, which was now guarded by Pipit and Karane. "Fire in the hole!" He yelled as he sent one of many enchanted bombs (courtesy of Shadow) out into the crowd of monsters.

"Don't hurt our allies!" Karane warned as the monsters came towards them.

Finally Liam and Impa approached the southern Argorok. The dragon already swooped down and tried to attack whatever it saw (it didn't matter which side as long as something was hit) and Liam had to keep an eye on it. "When I say the word, you'll know what to do!" He told Impa.

The dragon made to let out twin tornados and Liam quickly took the cue to move out of the way while taking the hookshot out. As soon as he made it to safety and saw that the tail of the beast was glowing blue, he used his magic to enchant the hookshot and he took aim.

"Got you!" Liam yelled as the hookshot grabbed the tail and he pulled the beast down with all of his might. His magic allowed the hookshot to give him equal strength to the Argorok and it seemed to be working like a charm thus far. Though Argorok struggled against the sorcerer, Impa leapt into the air and struck Koji's naginata into the beast's stomach and that was enough to help bring it down.

"I'm getting real sick of your kind!" Zant yelled at the southern Argorok before he vanished into twilight particles to avoid the blast of fire from the dragon. As soon as he appeared near the tail, the light attached to the beast turned blue and Zant sent out a stone hand to tug the beast down to the ground. "First in the city in the sky–" one tug "–then my kingdom–" another tug "–and now here too!" and finally one final tug to bring the dragon down. "I'M SO SICK OF YOU!" Zant turned into a giant and stomped on the dragon several times for as long as he could maintain the change though the unfortunate beast already died after three stomps. The tremors that followed did stun any nearby monsters, so the effort was not wasted, which many other knights took advantage of and went in for the kill.

Ganondorf continued watching the battle unfold as he stayed atop the tower while holding the glowing Triforce. He could not help but feel frustration at the loss of the Argoroks and knew that sooner or later the knights would try to draw him out.

"No, not yet... I require more time to reach my full strength." He told himself.

" _Aw yeah_!" A few Gorons clapped their hands together after setting a large bombchu up in a nearby mountain keep. "This'll help us out for sure!"

"The honor to light the fuse should be all yours, Brother Darunia!" A Goron cried. Darunia let out a hearty laugh "So there's a weak spot in the castle wall?! Then lets get keep our metal mouse nice and guarded before it goes out with a bang!"

"Agreed!" The controller of the bombchu took up the piece of machinery to control the bombchu and started it up. Seconds later the bombchu traveled out of the keep and went towards the west, with the Gorons following right after it with fists raised and bombs out and waiting to be hurled to the monsters.

"Ha, ha!" Darunia laughed as he swung his hammer out at the monsters as fast as he could and kept his attention on the greater of the annoyances that obstructed their pathway. "Lets show them what we Gorons are made of!"

"Hey, don't hog all the fun!" Ruto protested as she and Geode joined Darunia's side. "Let's help you out!" She sent out more waves of water magic at the enemies and was quick to dodge the attacks they sent at her.

"I got to admit, its nice to be back on the battlefield with our friends again!" Darunia told her as he slammed his hammer into a stalfoes before swinging the weapon into another skeletal beast.

"And its nice to get a second chance to get back at Ganondorf!" Ruto hissed as she dodged a sword.

"Aye, I look forward to pounding his face in!" Darunia laughed.

Steadily the bombchu went towards the keep and if the Gorons weren't protecting it, then they had to protect the operator who couldn't fight during his current task.

"So is that the plan then?" Ganondorf asked as a poe informed him of the bombchu. "Very well." He summoned a third Argorok to appear before him.

"Burn all the Gorons alive with your fire." He commanded. The Argorok let out a fierce cry and immediately headed towards the western side of the battlefield where the bombchu was heading.

"Another dragon is approaching our way!" A Goron noticed the Argorok and frantically pointed it out. Daruina turned around in alarm and he let out a growl. "Then if its a fight it wants, its a fight it'll get!" He gripped his hammer tightly as Ruto readied her water magic. "It's the only bombchu we got!"

"NO, YOU IDIOT!" Zant yelled as he hurried towards the Gorons. "THE ARGOROK WILL BURN YOU ALIVE!" Unfortunately he knew very well that he wouldn't make it in time and that they all would burn to a wasteful death with the bombchu included.

The Argorok came towards them and opened its mouth; It was only seconds away from letting out a jet of fire at the clueless Gorons.

A flash of red suddenly came into view and crashed into the Argorok, knocking it away from the group of Gorons (plus one Zora). They only had seconds to realize that a group of monsters was approaching them from the side and just when they were about to be ambushed, the monsters were knocked over from behind by a set of strange little tree figures which came from the direction where one green haired girl had joined the fray with her fairy companion by her side.

"Take that!" Saria yelled as she swung her staff out and knocked the beasts in front of her. "And that!" She added as she spun it around in a circle and sent up small trees from the ground to impale her enemies.

"YEAHHHHHH!" To the Gorons further surprise, three strange animal creatures came rushing out from behind Saria and proceeded to attack some oncoming monsters alongside her. "Take this!" Ricky yelled as he slammed his gloved fist into a monster or two before winding them up to send out a couple of magical tornadoes.

"Be gone you hooligans!" Dimitri snapped his jaws at a monster while Moosh dropped from the sky to crush a monster under his own weight.

"What a hassle." Moosh yawned. "But I suppose I can delay my nap for awhile."

"I thought Impa said you weren't going to help us!" Geode yelled at Saria.

"Well someone convinced us otherwise!" Saria yelled as she briefly changed the staff into a large leaf that she flung out to send wind gusts at her opponents.

"And I'll let the others know!" Sunny yelled as she flew past Saria to inform anyone she could find.

Meanwhile, many eyes turned to see that the Argorok was caught up in a fierce sky bound battle with another dragon; a dragon that was very familiar to them and was spewing out jets of flame at the Argorok before trying to barrel itself right into it. The Argorok was quicker, but the other dragon was more crafty and just when the Argorok tried to lunge at it, the dragon caught its neck in its jaws and clawed at its rivals body in an attempt to keep the black dragon's trashing talons away while also trying to attack it.

From atop the red dragon, a figure in green arose from its fiery mane and held a contraption out that was aimed towards the Argorok, while her free hand held onto the mane.

With a determined scowl Aryll took aim and shot the Argorok right in its eye as many times as she could before one arrow finally hit the mark.

Volga let go of the Argorok, who let out a horrible screech and flew crazily about in the sky, before Volga charged right into the beast. The little princess on his back held on for dear life and focused her magic to ensure that she would not fall off by strengthening her grip on the mane.

"Thank the Goddesses that the princess returned to help!" Aaron clapped his hands in relief as he let out a laugh as Kay shot him a look of worried alarm. "And with the dragon, we'll win for–" Kay jabbed Aaron in in the side with his elbow as hard as he could before pointing at something.

"What the heck are you-" Aaron then realized what Kay was trying to tell him, but it was too late as the damage had been done.

If there was one place that no knight would want to be at in that moment, it was the spot where the four clones of Shadow and the original incarnation were fighting- or at least they had been until they heard what Aaron said. Kay and Aaron were the unfortunate duo who could do nothing but watch in dread as Shadow and his clones slowly turned around to face them.

Though Shadow's face was calm, the anger and and dawning realization in his eyes would have made facing a room full of re-deads a preferable fate.

"So," Shadow began in a restrained tone that was about to burst from the nightmarish volcano bubbling underneath it. "My precious little sister, who shouldn't even be in Hyrule... is riding atop a dragon... that's fighting another dragon... both of which can spew out fire or knock her to her death... and _Ganondorf_ is nearby. _How_ did this equation happen?"

Kay raised a finger up as he and Aaron gapped in fear, but he gave up and just decided to get the unholy horror over with. "Aryll helped the general and Volga get us out of the caves." He confessed, which felt more like he was about to prepare for his own funeral than anything.

Shadow's eyes darkened as he gritted his teeth and a familiar darkness began to take over his body. "I... AM GOING TO KILL YOU ALL WHEN THIS IS ALL OVER!" He yelled as he raced ahead towards the dragons, with his clones in tow.

Aaron and Kay stared at Shadow in silence. "Nice going, idiot." Was all Kay could manage to say.

"I'M GOING TO KILL IMPA!" Shadow screamed as he violently took out his opponents and already he had turned completely black while his eyes were also now completely red. "I'M GOING TO KILL VOLGA! THEN I'M GOING TO FIND LINEBECK! THEN I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!"

Finally the bombchu reached the wall of the keep and the fuse was lit.

"TAKE COVER!" The operator yelled as all the Gorons left the bombchu. Barely five seconds passed before the contraption exploded and destroyed the wall, allowing the Hyrulean Knights and Gorons access to the western side of the battlefield.

"Well don't just stand there, hurry!" Impa yelled at her men and she ran towards where the explosion had occurred as fast as she could.

"Come on!" Sir Winslow yelled as he lead the others towards the west.

"Were coming for you, Ganondorf!" Bethany yelled as she ran ahead to join the advance.

Even as those closest to the western side of the battlefield hurried to rush in and clear out the enemies, only one of their most powerful warriors didn't bother to join as he paused in his violent outburst to stare up into the sky and watched as Volga and the Argorok continued to attack each other and gusts of wind could be seen crashing against the gusts caused by the later.

Shadow frantically cursed as he tried to think of a way to get up there and get his sister, but just before he could think of something to morph into, he felt something stab in the back. Though it didn't hurt too badly in the state he was in, he still let out a very annoyed growl when he saw the stalfoes who dared to harm him and began to attack.

Elsewhere, Ghirahim finished off his wave of monsters with a spectacular display of (elegant but rather violent) swordsmanship before he teleported himself inside the keep where Zelda hid with Epona. "It appears that your hour is close at hand." He told her. "Say the word and I'll destroy the door."

Zelda looked at the door in question. "When the time is right." She answered. "But I'm afraid its almost upon us."

Unfortunately for Zelda, her gut instinct was correct. At that moment, Ganondorf felt the power of the Triforce reach its peak and he could feel it surging throughout his body until the artifact was fully absorbed into him. He could feel the power that once belonged to Demise in all of his might and it was twice as strong. He felt more than human and more than a demon or a god. He felt as if he could tear apart anyone just by the slightest touch!

With a triumphant grin, he yelled out to the heavens " **There is no hero or god who could ever surpass me**!" He turned to the skies above, where the dragons were fighting, and where he could sense the magic of the Royal Family being used. He then gazed upon his weakened army, which were slowly being depleted by the girl's own army.

Without even thinking too hard on it, he sent out his power into his men while using the trident stuck in the castle as a medium to keep the power distributed. He tripled their durability and strength and made it so that their weapons would be extra hard and extra sharp.

"What the-?!" Saria gapped as the monsters she was facing were suddenly glowing with a strange red aura. Without warning, the monsters picked up their speed and she tried to send smack them away, but it felt like she was hitting a very thick tree.

"The heck is going on?!" Ashei yelled as the stronger of the lizafoes were merely knocked away by her ball and chain.

"Sir Knight, I don't think I can be of much use for any longer!" Agitha wailed in fright as she tried to smack the monsters with her parasol, but barely made a dent in them.

"Stay with me!" Zant gestured his hand towards the girl, who didn't hesitate to do so. He immediately created a large totem and sent them up on top of it, where he took to shooting at the oncoming monsters. "This has to be Ganondorf's doing!"

"Ganondorf must have absorbed the Triforce's power!" Liam realized in alarm as he tried his best to cover his less powerful comrades. "If he does that-!"

 _If he does that, then he'll turn into the monster that the seven wise men had to seal away in the alternate era! The Triforce will corrupt him due to the lack of balance in his heart!_ Liam was so terrified of this that he couldn't find it in himself to say it. _We might not have a chance!_

"ARGH!" Shadow yelled as he tried his hardest to kill all the monsters, but they just seemed to keep coming and it took much longer to kill them. "Why wont you all just die?!"

Ganondorf looked back to the dueling dragons. "I'll cut the army to their roots, but the biggest concerns are the more powerful of the allies." He decided.

"Come on!" Aryll yelled as she waved the Wind Waker out towards the Argorok and sent more tornadoes out at the creature from her position on Volga. "Why isn't it stopping?!"

"And the princess and the dragon go first." Ganondorf held his hand out towards the dragons. Dark magic began to form in his hand and charged up for a few seconds before he shot it up towards the sky. "You think you have mastery of the storms through your music, child of the Royal Family, but I require no music to control them."

Two bolts of thunder then crashed down from the sky and headed towards the two dragons. The Argorok was hit by one bolt and it was unable to let out a dying screech as the sky flashed with a bright light while Volga was able to quickly dodge the lightning in time.

"TAKE COVER!" Bethany yelled and many knights were forced to pull back as the Argorok crashed into the ground, along with many blood thirsty monsters.

Zelda was struck with horror after witnessing the fatal attack- she had no idea just how dangerous Ganondorf could become with the full Triforce, but now she had a _very_ strong idea as to what she was going up against.

"Its Demise at his strongest all over again." Zelda turned to Ghirahim, who also stared at the sky. Zelda nervously glanced back up to the sky with concern as the fight between the dragons continued.

"Use your spell of protection!" Volga could sense the change in atmosphere before he gave the command.

"Nayru's Love!" Aryll shouted as she held the crystal up and was engulfed in a blue diamond. Unfortunately this victory was short lived since a large bolt of thunder came crashing down right onto Volga and almost blinded the princess, who only just managed to close her eyes before she heard the agonized roar of Volga and then felt her stomach flip flop as she felt the nasty sensation of falling downwards to the ground.

Shadow heard Volga's roar, but before he could turn around, he felt something large stab right through his torso and found he suddenly himself rammed right into a wall by a very thick, stray spear from one of the monsters.

"NOW!" Zelda yelled at Ghirahim as she could do nothing but watch the red dragon fall from the sky and crash to the ground in almost little to no time at all.

Ghirahim gave the young woman a pleased smirk as he summoned a large sword and charged towards the door. With one swing, the door came apart and practically shattered into splinters.

The sword spirit almost danced to the side as he watched Zelda ride Epona towards where the dragon had fallen, which was near the town by the castle. He watched as she used the Master Sword to slice her opponents in half as Epona ran through them, and he couldn't help but give her a genuine smile. He then turned his attention to his enemies and raced ahead with his swords out; If this was to be his final battle while he was still alive and awake, then by the gods he would relish every second of it.

Not to far away, Shadow let out an enraged yell as he gripped the spear and tried to pull his own body out to the side as hard as he could. It hurt of course, and it was a very slow procedure, he finally was able to pull completely off to the side and collapsed to his knees as his body tried to mend his torso back together. Thank Farore it wasn't the mirror that got impaled or else he would have been a goner.

Meanwhile, Volga had crashed near the castle and his rider survived the fall, but he was less fortunate as the lightning attack had rendered him unconscious and he was unable to move. The young princess's barrier of magic had already vanished and she now tried her hardest to wake Volga by touching his face and trying to push it as carefully as she could.

"Volga!" Aryll pleaded to the dragon. "Volga, get up! We have to-" She sensed a dark presence behind her and turned around to come face to face with none other than Ganondorf himself.

For one moment, time seemed to stop as Aryll locked terror filled eyes with the king of evil. He already had his swords out and they were waiting to be used to spill the blood of Hylia's youngest descendant.

Aryll panicked and had no idea what to do as she became frozen with fear, but as her hand brushed against one of her crossbows, she remembered that she had a weapon and quickly took aim towards Ganondorf and shot an arrow.

Only to have him block the arrow with one of his swords as if it were a minor hinderance.

"No!" Aryll tried to shot another one at his head, but Ganondorf blocked that arrow as well. "No, no, no!" With no other option, Aryll frantically tried to find the Wind Waker in her belongings, while Ganondorf prepared a spell that he once used in an alternate timeline against the Hero of Time while she was distracted. Ugly colored yellow magic bursted into fragments from his hand and shot out towards the unsuspecting princess.

Just as Aryll found the baton, she heard a strange sound and felt what felt like several stinging fires burning against her body as jolts of electricity exploded from those same spots and surged around and within her. It was so sudden and so agonizing that she let out a scream as she collapsed to the ground while the yellow magic burst continued to attack her body in many various places.

"KEEEEEYYYYYAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Whether it was due to some sort of a miracle or sheer luck, the scream was able to pierce through the chaos of the battlegrounds to the point that someone had heard it. Somewhere in the distance, that certain someone had not seen the cause of the scream attack, but they recognized it all too well.

The moment Shadow heard that scream, he felt a powerful jolt of fear inside him before he ran as fast as he could, despite that the gapping hole in his body hadn't fully mended back together. No, it was as if pain no longer existed as pure adrenaline flooded both the mass he was manipulating to work as his body as well as the mind that was still connected to the real one. At the same time the world around him became a murderous red haze and no creature was safe from his wrath as his duplicates ran alongside him and destroyed anything in their path before they remerge back into him.

He willed his form to dissolve into the dark mass that it truly was and it gave him an increase of speed that surpassed what he was normally capable of. Those who were wise knew to avoid the dark mass before something worse than Ganondorf could happen to them. Anything that got in the way of the dark mass was soon sliced into pieces by the blades bursted forth.

Ganondorf savored the misery he inflicted upon the princess as the magic died away, though she writhed on the ground like the battle ignorant child he assumed she was. Parts of her clothing was singed and blackened and there were nasty burn marks on her arms, legs, and even a huge red mark now marred her cheek, which was also coated by the tears that were flooding out of her eyes. She was only attacked by _one_ spell and she was already crying her eyes out, which made it so much more tempting to use another spell on her. The child deserved it for all the hell he had to endure from her ancestors.

"To think that such a pathetic child is descended from my greatest enemies and shares a likeness to Hylia's Champion." Ganondorf sneered at her. Were all other members of the Royal Family besides the boy so utterly helpless?

He raised his sword up as high as he could before his sneer turned into a dark grin as Aryll's movements slowed down enough for him to slice one of her legs off. He could already see the look of horror on her brother's face from what he was about to do. "A little pain to cause suffering for your brother would make a much better display for him to behold."

A twitching Aryll could only open her eyes as she cried through her pain and all she could see was Ganondorf and the sword that was aimed at her legs. Unable to even so much as crawl away, she shut her eyes when she saw the very instant he was about to bring the sword down and knew that the consequences for her actions was about to come into the light. Never had such a moment seemed to be as slow as this one.

As a horrible fate slowly approached her, all that Aryll wanted in that very moment–more than even for her suffering to end–was to just be with her big brother again. It was all that she could think of to block out the inevitable agony.

The very second Ganondorf swung the sword downward, a dark mass came shooting outward with dark tendrils that were changed into scythe like blades.

In that very second, Ganondorf felt the full force of both a brother's powerful wrath and loving protection. In that very second, one dark blade that came from the dark mass cut right through Ganondorf's blade, another right through his arm, another gave him a deep cut right across his face, but only one tendril that was shaped like a taloned hand grabbed Princess Aryll by her leg and pulled her into the mass before it sped off to a safer part of the battlefield.

Ganondorf let out a furious scream as agonizing pain erupted in his arm (or current lack of) and ruined face. He stumbled back as he let go of his remaining sword to clutch his ruined and heavily bleeding limb. He had no idea that he had committed a great act of foolishness in harming the princess as her brother once again had to teach someone why it was never a good idea to so much as lay a finger on her.

The mass of darkness that injured Ganondorf practically swam through the battleground and crashed through many monsters, but it wasn't until it was in a good spot near a dead tree that it stopped and pulled away from Aryll before it turned into a very horrified Shadow, who kept his grip on Aryll's arms. The girl was only just coming back to her senses after the horrible ordeal, but her greatest surprise was from seeing the dark form of her brother who looked so afraid and so angry that she almost doubted it really was him, even when the darkness vanished from his skin and his eyes returned back to their normal state.

"WHY DID YOU COME BACK?!" Shadow yelled at his sister as he shook her shoulders. "WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN TO ME?!"

Aryll was almost in too much of a shock to respond back.

"I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO LOSE YOU JUST THEN!" Shadow yelled as he shook her again. "I THOUGHT I-" He felt himself go weak as his grip loosened on her shoulders and he could only wrap his arms around his sister and draw her into an embrace. He almost lost his sister to Ganondorf and he would never have been able to live with himself if it happened.

He held her as tightly as he could and didn't want to let go, even for a moment. "Damnit, Aryll!" He felt himself about ready to cry actual tears. "I lost it so bad when I heard you- I can't lose you!" He buried his head into her shoulder and his long nails almost dug into her outfit as his grip began to tighten. "I can't lose you." He desperately repeated in a near whisper. "I'd never be able to forgive myself."

Aryll felt her shock die out and she could do nothing but return the embrace as she began to sob. This time it was out of relief that she was reunited with her brother again and had been spared from a horrible fate. "I was afraid I was going to lose you too, big brother!" She confessed as her own grip tightened on him. "I didn't want to leave you!"

"I'm here now." Shadow firmly reassured her as he caressed the back of her head. "I swear, I will won't let _anyone_ harm you. I won't ever leave you again."

Elsewhere, Zelda had witnessed what had happened to Ganondorf and got off Epona before running the rest of the way towards him. All eyes that belonged to the side of good nervously watched as she approached him, knowing that the outcome of this battle depended on who could come out alive.

Ganondorf let out a growl as he used his now vastly superior magic to get his arm to reattach back onto the spot where it had been cut off. When this was completed, he felt his blood boil with rage for what Shadow had done to him, for who else would have been capable of such a feat? How dare that _annoying_ speck of darkness try to maim him! He was going to pay yet again for all the hell he caused him in both this life and the old one! He was about to take a step forward when–

"GANONDORF!"

He turned around to see Zelda pointing the Master Sword at him as one of the many bolts of thunder crashed to the ground from a nearby spot and briefly casted a white light upon her bloodied, torn, but still standing profile. There was a determined glare in her eyes and the defiant way she held herself brought to mind those past faces of his greatest enemy.

 _The mere mortal who tamed his old sword... the weak, defiant child who was able to topple him before his greatest conquest could occur..._ _ **the tool of the gods who never seemed to quit...**_ _the wolf who was his equal..._ and now the cause of his rebirth and the near destruction of the timeline itself, who he had already broken in both mind and spirit, was now standing before him, ready to fight once more.

"Its me you want!" Zelda yelled. "Quit taking it out on everyone else!"

Ganondorf let out a dark laugh as he held his hand over the destroyed sword. "There it is" He grinned as the sword reformed and came into his waiting hand. " _There's_ the anger I wanted to see; Now I can recognize you for who you are! Though now you have made me quite furious for daring to interrupt me from my vengeance against that pathetic excuse of a future ruler!"

"All the more reason to fight you!" Zelda swung her sword out. "No matter what you do to me, I'll never stop fighting! No power will ever be enough to stop me or anyone else who shares the spirit of the hero!"

"You still think you can defeat me, girl?!" Ganondorf scoffed as he held his blades out. "I've already won! I have the Triforce you have tried time and again to keep from me! I have taken away your dignity, your homeland, your many allies, and soon I'll take everything that matters to you!"

"You didn't take my life and that will be your undoing!" Zelda reached into her special magical bag (a recent and gift from the knights) before pulling out her newly restored Hylian shield. "The battle in this era isn't over until one of us dies!" She declared.

Ganondorf smirked. "Confident, are we?" He raised a sword up into the sky. "Then let us see how well you can last against me!" He yelled as he brought it down and sent out bolts of lightning towards Zelda, who was forced to run from them. Ganondorf turned and repeated the same move, except the lightning came from behind Zelda, and she had to make a run for it again but ended up getting closer to Ganondorf.

"You should have ran from Hyrule when you had the chance!" Ganondorf laughed as he swung his swords out but Zelda made the quick decision to dodge it, and when he struck out with his other sword, Zelda knocked it back with her shield.

She could not talk back to Ganondorf–it would only distract her. She retaliated by waving the Master Sword towards his neck, and Ganondorf was forced to move back away from it.

So the brat thought she could try to pull the same moves again like in the alternate timeline, did she? Perhaps it was time to do the same; He also made the move to strike at her neck, but Zelda ducked and slammed her sword into his leg. It didn't hurt him, but the fact that she finally touched him made him a little annoyed.

"You think you can pull the same tactic twice?!" He yelled as he made to slam the sword down upon her but Zelda was able to dodge this. "I know you better than you know yourself!" He ran after her and swung both swords and Zelda had to duck once more before Ganondorf kicked her aside. The girl made a tumble onto the ground but before he could even make a strike she continued to roll on the ground before getting right back up with her shield out to stop another attack.

Zelda thanked the heavens she could recall her research about when Ganondorf had fought the Hero of Twilight, as well as ways to improvise on this fight if she would ever find herself on the ground. Getting pinned on the ground under his feet would not be a pleasant position and especially if he would think to cut her arm off this time around. When Ganondorf slammed his sword into her shield, she was almost knocked back, but she made to threateningly jab her sword out and take a swing before she could hop away.

"Look!" Aryll gasped in alarm as she turned towards the fated duo, though Shadow held his grip on his sister and tried to figure out a way to assist Zelda. If _only_ there wasn't a handful of monsters coming towards them. He tightened his grip on Aryll and forced the clones out to do his work in order to give him a moment's peace.

"Zelda!" Shadow heard Proxy yell and he glanced behind to see the fairy and Sidian approach him. "Oh no!" Proxy panicked when he saw the confrontation between her and Ganondorf.

"The fountain is destroyed but the Great Fairy is imprisoned in the castle!" Sidian told Shadow. "She's the only hope you have if we need Link back!"

"Then get Impa and the others to take over the castle!" Shadow barked a command to Proxy. Proxy quickly, yet somewhat reluctantly flew off to find the others and Shadow then turned to Sidian.

"You know what must be done if my hunch is right." Shadow told Sidian as his body yet again produced a dark mass that swallowed up both himself and his worried sister, who clutched onto her brother for dear life. The mass then expanded in size and became a great, yet ferocious wolf, which howled into the sky before barreling its way through the oncoming monsters and absorbed the clones back into itself when it got close enough.

Proxy went off to tell as many people as he could, though the first two were none other than Ruto and Darunia–both of whom sere still struggling with their own enemies.

"The castle isn't guarded!" Proxy told them. "Shadow told us to go and take it back!" He added before flying off to find someone else to inform.

It was then that Ruto caught sight of the battle between Zelda and Ganondorf. A very strong sense of dread overcame her as well as a quick dash of guilt from what she recalled from the Temple of Souls and she had a strong feeling that the duel was not going to be in Zelda's favor.

"Darunia!" Ruto pointed in alarm at the fight between Zelda and Ganondorf. Darunia scowled at the sight as memories of what happened seven years ago came to mind–memories of what Ganondorf had almost done to his people, the battle they had against him, and all the murders and acts of cruelty that he committed.

It was time to try to personally fix that.

"I'm not afraid of Ganondorf! I'll bring the pain to him!" He ran towards the duel while minding the thunder that kept crashing around them. "You guys stay right there, ok?!"

"Me too!" Ruto yelled as she followed suit and left the other Gorons behind.

"Come on, guys!" Geode yelled as he held the fire rod in the air. "Let's make them proud!" He ran right into the heart of their fray and his brothers joined in.

"Who should I kill first?" Ganondorf asked as he and Zelda began to circle each other and the later already seemed to be a little exhausted from trying to block or dodge his attacks. "The sorcerer who was infatuated with you? One of the two sages you failed to save in the alternate future? The mad king who abandoned you like the mutt you were? The spirit who gave up his freedom to give you that sword? The prince who was foolish enough to get you injured in our last encounter? Or perhaps I'll drain the life out of that fairy companion of yours like I did to the other one?!" He grinned at the last one.

Zelda could feel her anger rise, but she knew she had to keep still and think of how to stop Ganondorf.

"All of your allies that I have killed thus far had it much easier compared to what I will do to those who are still alive–every one of them will get their rightful punishment in due time! Will they be defiant to the end like Nabooru of the Gerudo, or will they cry cowardly tears like the weak little princess of Hyrule?!"

Zelda's grip tightened on the Master Sword as she felt her anger rise but she had to stay calm for all their sakes.

"We are the fated three! no matter how much we try to deny it–no matter what roles we must play in the story–we will all bring death and destruction with us in every era we meet! I will force you to watch as they all will fall, one by one, until all that is left is nothing but a pitiful shell of yourself begging for me to finally end your suffering you so you can join them!" Ganondorf yelled as he charged ahead with both of his swords out and Zelda was forced to make a run for it since she could not clash against them with her only one sword.

"GANONDORF!"

Zelda glanced around in alarm before seeing Darunia and Ruto entering the fray. "We'll take over for a moment!" Ruto yelled at Zelda as she readied her water magic while Darunia also readied his hammer.

"No wait-!" Zelda protested but Ganondorf had already seen them coming and sent out a large dark hand formed out of magic towards them. Ruto however batted it away with a magical wave of water while Darunia went in for a strike, which Ganondorf was forced to dodge.

"THIS TIME WE'LL HELP YOU!" Darunia yelled as he swung his hammer out, which Ganondorf was able to block while he also swung one of his blades at Ruto before she could get too close. The Zora quickly dodged but she growled at the lost chance to get back at him.

"It's about time I stopped sitting around, Ganondorf!" She yelled as she sent out a blast of water magic that the king of evil made to block with his swords. "I'm not the same brat I used to be!"

Darunia let out a yell as he summoned a large chunk of the earth that was consumed by flames and he hurled it at Ganondorf who quickly cut it in half. Ganondorf was then forced to send out a warning blast of lightning magic at Ruto when she took the chance to attack, but she quickly created a coil of water that she leapt into as it went around him. He had to quickly try to cut the coil in half with Ruto inside it, but the teenaged Zora managed to avoid it and he was soon met with a blast of water to his side, followed by a strong kick that almost made him fall over.

It was not what Ganondorf wanted, but he knew very well that he would easily overpower the both of them when the moment was right. He readied the same magic that he used on the princess and sent it out towards the Zora and the Goron without giving it much of a chance to charge. Still, it had the right effect on the two and a panicked Ruto created a wave of water to slow down the sparks, giving both her and Darunia enough time to make a run for it and strike Ganondorf.

"THIS IS FOR ALL THE KOKIRI YOU SLAUGHTERED, YOU MONSTER!" Darunia yelled as he slammed the hammer into the earth and spikes of dirt rose out–the later of which barely managed to hit Ganondorf, who cut it in half and gave Darunia a dark glare in retaliation.

Zelda felt a strong panic overcome her; She had no idea what to do while the other two were fighting Ganondorf and a small part of her was screaming to do something about it. Something bad would happen soon... or happen _again_ as a small voice in her head tried to remind her.

 **-Inside Hyrule Castle-**

"Argh!" Liam yelled as he sent spells after spells at the monsters that were still inside the castle. It helped that most of them were outside, but it was still a struggle to get rid of them all. He tried to use his magic to sense if anyone was still in the castle and when he picked up a wave of magic, he found himself running straight to the dungeons, where many prisoners were kept.

The first prisoner to sense that Liam was coming before anyone cracked a grin. "I suppose I won't have to interfere after all." The Happy Mask Salesman mused to himself. "Perhaps this time the hero won't need my assistance to get rid of a pest." He then vanished as if he had never been imprisoned to begin with before Liam bursted into the dungeons, unaware that the salesman was ever there to begin with. Perhaps the strange man's story was to be told another time.

"Are you here to save us?" A woman asked as everyone became alerted to the unexpected savior in white and blue.

"Oh thank Farore!" Vaati praised as Liam quickly used his magic to form bolts of lighting to destroy all the locks.

"Anyone who can fight must help take back the castle!" Liam commanded. "Are you willing to fight?!"

"I am!" Medli yelled as she stood up in her cell and took out her harp.

"Me too!" A castle maid followed suit.

"Us too!" A few citizens also stood up.

"Give me a sword and I'll stand alongside you!" King Alfon stood up and Vaati followed suit with slight difficulty when Liam broke the door open.

"I need to have this fixed first." Vaati held his enchanted hands up with all the strength he could manage on his own. Without saying a word, Liam went over and casted a spell to undue the curse and Vaati's hands had returned to normal within moments. Vaati watched in happy relief as he regained the feeling and natural coloration in his hands and he carefully flexed and moved his wrists and fingers before attempting a small spell to make sure that his power was still in tip–top condition.

"I still need to do a few things here before I can join them again, Your Majesty." Liam told Alfon.

"Do what you must to help them." Alfon nodded as Vaati summoned a sword and handed it to the king before he could summon more weapons to give to the others.

"Let us reclaim our home!" King Alfon raised his sword and everyone cheered in agreement as they raised their fists into the air. "For Hyrule!"

"FOR HYRULE!" They all yelled.

Elsewhere, Impa had managed to destroy a gated prison door with the naginata and bursted through to find the Great Fairy covered in chains that held her to the floor. The poor spirit had been reduced to a Hylian sized form and she not only lost her glow, but she was covered in nasty bruises and cuts. Despite the circumstances, she glanced up to Impa and was able to gave her a small smile.

"Oh, to think that a beautiful knight has come to rescue me." The Great Fairy's voice came out in a whisper as Impa sighed in relief before using her weapon to destroy the chains.

"Can you help us heal the prince's body?!" Impa grunted as she swung down her blade upon one set of the chains. Upon impact, the links snapped in half and broke loose and the prisoner only winced a little when this happened.

"I... might have just enough left to do so, General Impa." The fairy slowly nodded as if to reassure herself. "Ganondorf may have drained my power from my veins, but not all of it."

 **-Outside-**

A large helmet spun above Zant's totem and sent out blasts of magic before it vanished and brought Zant and Agitha out of its safety.

"We need to retreat to a less crowded spot!" Zant grabbed onto Agitha and vanished into Twilight particles, which was a good thing as the monsters had finally started to try to bring the totem down to the ground.

"RGH!" Ghirahim yelled as he sent a diamond platform up, along with his own enemies before he sent them crashing back down to the ground. He cursed as more monsters came towards him and he knew it would only be a matter of time before he would have to stop the long range attacks and fall back to close range.

Bethany made to reach for another arrow, but then she felt a monster knock her back before she felt its blade stab her in one of her shoulders. She let out an agonized scream, yet she whacked the monster with her bow as hard as she could before she could pull back and make a fast retreat.

Ashei panted as she lost her stamina and found it increasingly harder to keep sending the ball and chain out. "I can't keep this up!" She growled in frustration.

"At this point, we would all have to gang up on Ganondorf!" Sir Winslow hissed as he tried his hardest to keep himself from being surrounded.

"Come on Ganondorf!" Darunia yelled as a wave of his hammer sent up a few rock spikes into the air, but Ganondorf merely dodged them before cutting them in half with his own weapons. Ruto immediately tried to send out a few water cyclones but Ganondorf sent a few more dark bolts of thunder upon them, causing them to explode.

Before he knew it, he felt something sharp stab him in the side–it carried a _very_ familiar sting, but it was now twice as powerful as if someone stuck a flaming torch into his side. He retaliated by turning and swinging his blade out, but the attacker dodged the move and backed away.

When he saw that it was a _very_ angry–and _very_ determined–Zelda who held a now blood covered Master Sword, he made his hands become the large dark arms and swatted both Darunia and Ruto away from the battle.

"NO!" Zelda yelled as she watched the both of them soar through the air before hitting against both the ground and a rock wall, but Ganondorf charged towards her and she was forced to make a run for it.

"Don't you get it?!" Ganondorf yelled as he healed his injury. "I am more powerful than either of them and their fancy tools!"

 _I have to buy enough time to stop him from healing himself._ Zelda thought in a panic. _But how?!_ She then realized that she needed to call for help once again. _Their_ help to be more accurate.

As she hurried away from Ganondorf's barrage of spells, she held the Master Sword up and willed the spirit within it to call out to his past self while she also yelled out as loudly as she could:

"BORN OF NIGHT, BORN OF LIGHT, THE WOLF HOWLS IN THE TWILIGHT!"

Ghirahim let out a gasp as something alerted him to look and see that Zelda was trying to escape from several blasts of dark spells by the King of Evil. There was no denying it–this Zelda was trying to get his aid by summoning him with his blade because he could feel the blade inside him resonate with her own.

Elsewhere, Zant heard the familiar words and was alerted to Zelda and a very familiar old foe of his. "Take to the sky, Your Highness!" He yelled at Agitha as he quickly vanished into Twilight particles, while the child readied a particular bug to aid her. At the same time, Ghirahim also vanished in a burst of diamonds: both souls determined to get to their companion and to not let the past repeat itself yet again.

"QUIT RUNNING!" Ganondorf yelled as he made to bring his swords down and send another blast of magic at the hero, who was now almost cornered against a wall of rocks. Even when she turned her head he could see her realization that he could block her path with two carefully aimed spells and thus he made to block her off on both sides-

–when all of a sudden, he felt his blades clash against two blades that stopped his own in mid arc and cancelled out the spells. He spun outward and watched as one figure quickly leapt away while the other teleported himself a few feet away, but he already knew who they both were, the moment he caught sight of their signature magic.

"YOU!" He charged towards Ghirahim, who sent out wave after wave of daggers, but Ganondrof swung his swords and knocked all of them away.

Ghirahim laughed as Ganondorf got close enough and practically danced around him before swinging his sword, which Ganondorf was quick to counter.

"I did not expect that I would personally met your reincarnation, Demise!" Ghirahim cracked a grin at Ganondorf before quickly dodging away, leaving Zant to try to take a slice at Ganondorf with his blades from behind. The King of Evil quickly dodged that attack and swung his blades at both of them, only to greet nothing but empty spaces.

Growling, he turned around in time to see both his new ( _old_ ) foes materialize right next to Zelda in their respective bursts of magic. Both men had their weapons out and ready and Zelda herself gave Ganondorf a determined glare as she held her sword out, but the sight made Ganondorf laugh.

"You and your companions together in battle at last!" Ganondorf laughed at Zelda. "Or at least the ones I didn't kill off for good!"

"Ready when you are." Zelda growled at her companions as she readied her sword before rushing towards Ganondorf.

Ganondorf let out a yell as he followed Zelda's example and charged forward, but he noticed that her companions had vanished. He already knew what to expect and quickly made to swing his swords out around him, forcing the newly materialized Ghirahim and Zant to quickly dodge in the nick of time. The downside was that this allowed Zelda a chance to thrust her sword out, but Ganondorf knocked it back, though he had to quickly turn to try to knock Ghirahim's sword back when it came too close.

After sensing Twili magic, Ganondorf quickly turned around and blocked Zant's barrage of attacks and when the Twili King leapt into the air to shoot a few rounds of magic at his target, Ganondorf used one sword to block them off while parrying a blow from Zelda. He then quickly dodged out of the way, only for Ghirahim to come forth with two swords. Ghirahim tried to bring the larger one down upon Ganondorf, who knocked it up into the air before making to swing at Ghirahim, before Zant came crashing down and slamming a scimitar into Ganondorf's side. This was enough to catch him off guard and allow Zelda to come in to make a blow into Ganondorf's side and Ghirahim leapt up into the air to deliver a blow from above, only for Ganondorf to send out a wave of magic to knock all three swordsmen back.

"Is that the best you can do?!" Ganondorf demanded as the three were sent flying to the ground, but only Ghirahim was able to quickly position himself so that he slid across the ground on his hand and knees.

"You're quite the cocky one aren't you!" Zant panted as he leapt back up on his feet and got his blades ready again. "Too stubborn for your own good!"

"Likewise!" Ganondorf quickly blocked another of Ghirahim's attempts to attack him with a fury of blows. "I have to kill _you_ again!" He finally knocked Ghirahim back and made to charge towards Zant, who readied up a spell of his own.

Time seemed to slow down for Ghirahim as he was sent flying yet again towards the ground, but he saw that Zelda was in the process of standing up and that she wasn't holding her shield. He reached a hand out towards her and when she saw this, she could only follow her instincts and grabbed him as his body turned white. She could feel his weight make her spin around until Ghirahim's form shifted into something much lighter but she didn't bother to look and ran at Ganondorf with a new addition in her arsenal.

Now there were two Master Swords of different eras in both her hands.

At that moment both Zant and Ganondorf's spells exploded when they collided together, and Ganondorf was only just lucky to stop Zelda with his swords before she could swing both blades at him. He then made to bring one of his swords down upon her, and Zelda quickly crossed both Master Swords together to block the attack, with all the strength that she could manage.

Ganondorf made to cut his opponent in half with his free blade while she struggled to keep the blade upright, but Zant then came barging forth as a deadly tornado and knocked right into Ganondorf. Ganondorf was cut repeatedly into his side, but he was able to knock the deadly tornado back with all the force he could manage by smacking his blade right into Zant. The Twilli would have been sent flying, had he not vanished into particles and allowed Zelda to come back in for an attack.

This was all so pathetic–he grew up with dual wielders that were far more practiced then these two. Ganondorf then decided to take to the sky and used his magic to lift himself off the ground before Zelda could reach him. As she skidded to a halt, he decided to bring back an old tactic–but with a new twist.

"I dare you do send these back to me again!" Ganondorf charged up his swords with yellow energy before swinging them up into the sky to form several yellow orbs of magic.

Magic that Zelda was _very_ familiar with.

"Bring it then." Zelda readied her swords and Ganondorf then began sending the orbs at her–not all at once, but one at different time intervals, if not two at the same time.

As if the spirits of both Master Swords had blessed her with their speed and quick eye, Zelda began to swing her sword to bat against each ball of yellow magic–one knocked away vertically, another diagonally, then horizontally and so on. Faster and faster the orbs came towards her and each one that managed to get sent back to the spell caster was sent right back at Zelda.

Ganondorf grinned as he sent the spells right back at his opponent and casted more to replace the stray ones–he was relishing every second of this fight and this change against the normal routine. He knew that her mortal body could not keep up, like this.

Zelda made herself concentrate and trust her instincts as each orb came right at her. Whether it was strength, past knowledge, or the helping hands of her blades, she was able to just give in and swing away the moment she saw the lights without getting tangled up.

"Oh no you don't!" Zant growled as he saw this happening. He quickly readied a spell and then quickly shot Ganondorf in the back before vanishing away.

Without warning, Ganondorf felt something hit against his back and it stunned him long enough to allow one of his own spells to knock right into him. The very familiar stinging from his own spell was as unbearable as always, but he knew that there was no light arrow to stun him any farther–especially if there was no way for the girl to reach him.

"NOW LADY WOLF!" Zant yelled at Zelda, who then noticed a stone hand waiting right in front of her. Understanding what Zant was planning, Zelda rushed to the hand and leapt onto it. The moment she made contact, she crouched down to keep her balance as the hand lifted her up into the air. Seconds later, Zant formed a large totem under his feet that he could create and made it rise high up towards the stunned Ganondorf.

As soon as both Zelda and Zant reached Ganondorf's level, the former rose back up on the hand and the two began to let out several blows with their duel weapons. Ganondorf felt each hit against his body and only the Triforce itself was numbing the pain (he willed it so, after the unexpected attack by Zelda from earlier), yet somehow he could still feel a bit of a sting from the Master Swords and he could sill feel his blood drain away with each injury.

"FOR MIDNA!" Zant screamed as he sliced his scimitars into Ganondorf on one side, while the reincarnation of his Lady Wolf followed suit.

Zelda then felt the Master Sword in her non dominant hand pulsate and knew what had to be done. She threw it to the side, and quickly used her era's Master Sword to block Ganondorf's attempt to attack both her and Zant when he saw the opening. Ganondorf found that both of them made to block his weapons with their own blades, but he always had a back up plan.

"MAY YOU ALL DIE TOGETHER!" He yelled as his blades began to charge up with purple-white magic.

The Master Sword fell towards the ground, but it quickly transformed back into Ghirahim, who quickly summoned a diamond floor under him and made it raise up to rejoin the others while taking his own sword out.

Both Zelda and Zant struggled to keep their hold on their weapons as Ganondorf's blades forced them down, while his magic was growing rapidly.

Then, before Ganondorf could realize what was about to happen, Ghirahim came flying upward and sent his sword crashing right down through part of Ganondorf's back. The King of Evil then let out a scream as his magic sent Zelda and Zant flying and he himself plummeted right to the ground as a spray of blood came out of him.

Though Ghirahim was sent flying, he was fast enough to teleport himself right to Zelda and grab onto her, before giving her a safe landing on the ground. Zant was not as fast, but he was still able to stop himself from falling by having a stone hand catch him and he watched as Ghirahim helped steady Zelda, while Ganondorf landed on the ground.

"I trust you can handle him on your own." Ghirahim told Zelda, before transporting himself away to finish off the pest control. Zant also followed Ghirahim's example and made to go back to Agitha, as he knew that the girl might not last on her own for too long.

 **-Inside Hyrule Castle-**

"Let's see how you like this, you dirty coward!" Liam yelled as he sent one final spell at the large trident that was stuck in the castle.

 **-outside-**

Those who were not caught up in the battle watched as a burst of white light came forth from the trident stuck in the castle, which then raised upward before vanishing altogether. Those still caught in battle immediately noticed a particular change as their struggles against the creatures were not as hard. Many of the beasts had become weak from the loss of the only thing that kept their strength further amplified and they all began to fall victim to the weapons of the Hylian knights.

Elsewhere, the great wolf that had been rampaging around the battlefield shrank back down before returning back into the form of a now very exhausted Shadow, who still held onto Aryll. The princess was a little shaken by the experience, but she had felt safe the entire time. Shadow himself panted as he glanced up to watch Zelda and Ganondorf resume their battle.

Ganondorf growled as he willed the Triforce to seal up his injury while struggling to get up on his feet. He himself felt his power diminish somewhat by the loss of the amplifier that provided the additional strength to his men and he could feel the world spinning, but he could still make out his brightly colored target against the sea of red, black, and brown. " _You..._." He growled at Zelda. " _YOU!_ " He began to stagger towards her.

Zelda was not fazed this time. Seeing her opponent act so vulnerable reminded her that even Ganondorf could eventually lose his accuracy and strength.

"Lend me your strength again, Ghirahim." Zelda whispered as she held the hilt of the Master Sword to her face. She willed herself to have every part of her connect with the blade and the soul within it. "Help me finish him off like you always did."

She then felt it- it was as if a hand was gripping her own with a welcoming reassurance and providing her the strength that she desired. Her oldest companion was more than happy to be granted the chance at revenge for what happened the last time she fought against her old foe–she felt it when she first injured Ganondorf, but now she swore she could almost sense a combination of determination and delight coming from the weapon in her hand.

And who was she to deny her sword's desire? She also had her own reasons to take her anger out on Ganondorf and get back at him for all that he had done to everyone in all the eras of Hyrule.

She swung her sword out as a blue light engulfed the blade and she charged towards Ganondorf. Just as Ganondorf made a swing at her, she slammed her sword into his own as hard as she could and a burst of yellow light came out of her sword. As soon as his sword and arm was knocked back, she moved and jabbed him in the arm pit as hard as she could and when he yelled and tried to twist around to get her with the other sword, she dodged this attack and then stabbed him in the side as far as her strength could allow her to. With an animalistic growl, she twisted the blade as hard as she could, so that she could cause more harm to Ganondorf before she was forced to pull back, but not before moving her sword alongside her so that more blood could be spilled.

Shadow had watched it all and for the second time in a row he could see the power of both sword and master go up against Ganondorf, despite the odds against them.

"But whose power is that?" he wondered as Zelda stabbed and slashed at Ganondorf as hard as she could before he realized something was wrong; If Ganondorf had the Triforce, then he shouldn't be taken over _this_ easily... unless...

He had a very overwhelming urge to get back to his real body. Something _bad_ was coming.

"Zelda!" Proxy yelled as he flew over to rejoin his companion but watched from a safe distance in case he would end up interfering too much on her part.

Zelda felt her sword charge up one last time, before she could unleash both its true power and a triumphant yell as she performed a near perfect spin attack and was able to cut both of Ganondorf's blades in half as well as through his damaged armor and into his chest.

Ganondorf let out a scream and Zelda backed away from him as he collapsed to his knees, but she held her Master Sword out in case something would happen. "I'm not through with you." She warned as his what was left of his swords collapsed to the ground beside him and he struggled to keep himself upright. He was already heavily bleeding from his wounds and if she had to bleed him to death in order to win, then so be it. There was no way he could survive in the state he was in.

"Heh," He let out a low laugh (it hurt so much to do so, but it was an agony worth enduring) before he slowly glanced up and glared at her from under his brows. "Heh, heh- you really think you can defeat me? With your allies and your beloved sword at your side?" He laughed again before he coughed up a spray of blood that went everywhere and even around his mouth.

Proxy flew to Zelda's side at that point. He was eager to re-join his companion, but she made no notice of his presence. At the same time, Zelda was ready to make a move and try to finish Ganondorf off when a nasty reminder came right out of him.

The Triforce hovered out of Ganondorf's chest and then she remembered just how powerful he was compared to her and everyone else with that in his possession.

"You may have defeated this form..." Ganondorf grunted. "...But I've finally managed to unlock my true power!" His laughter increased as the Triforce rose into the air.

Zelda made to run towards him and get the Triforce, but before she could get close enough, a black smoke engulfed both Ganondorf and the Triforce and rose in size.

Zelda could only back away in alarm and she ended up re-joining Proxy's side as she watched the dark smoke grow at an alarming rate while Ganondorf's pained, yet triumphant laughter could be heard within it. Shadow and Aryll held each other as tightly as they could as they saw their family's oldest enemy unleash his true powers and the smoke casted a shadow upon both them, Proxy, and Zelda. Every fighter in the ruined landscape stopped in their battle to watch the true nightmare that was about to begin.

"What's happening?!" Ruto asked in alarm as she and Darunia watched the scene unfold.

Agitha whimpered in fear and Zant held her close to him as he realized that this magic was darker than anything he had ever experienced. It was so corrupted that he could almost swear that it effected him with a fear that robbed him of his confidence.

Ghirahim could feel the change to the point that his senses were almost overtaken and he felt sick to his stomach. "This aura is more powerful than that of Demise." He felt himself experiencing the very rare emotion of fear, and that was _never_ a good thing for him.

Ganondorf's laughter grew frantic to the point that it hardly sounded human anymore. In fact, it gradually deepened and it was as if the laughter had a double purpose as if it were also screams of someone being tortured alive. Had anyone made this guess, then they would be correct, for a frightening change was happening to Ganondorf within the darkness that was affecting both his body and his mind.

Liam could only stare at the ominous sight as he stood alongside a worried Impa as she helped guide the Great Fairy out of the castle (the poor lady was stumbling on her way out and could barely support herself) before he could dare say the words " _He_ is coming."

"Who?" Impa asked in alarm.

"If-" Liam stammered "-if Ganondorf ever becomes corrupted by the Triforce, then the monster that he really is on the inside will come out and take form." Liam felt his heart race in terror. "The _very_ monster that not even the sacred realm could completely contain in any era or timeline."

Slowly the frantic, deep booming laugh died away until a silence fell upon the battle scared lands.

There was a pause all around them. For one moment, one could swear that all they could hear was something that sounded like a combination of a heart beat and raspy breathing. Perhaps it was the wind. Perhaps it was the nightmare hiding in the shadows where none would dare to tread.

Then a loud sound like deep thunder combined with the nightmarish roar of a wild boar rang out and a monstrous hand–large than the average Hylian man– came from the dark smoke.

"Wh- what _is_ that?!" Aryll whimpered as Shadow held her as tightly as he could and wished that this was just all some horrible nightmare.

"That's the incarnation of Ganondorf's hatred against us and the greed that consumed him." Shadow told her as he felt himself unable to do anything to stop what was happening. He felt as if he had truly failed everyone, from Aryll and Zelda to all of his people.

A mane of fiery red hair came out of the smoke before revealing a boar's head with a hideous bluish gray hide, long tusks that could tear a mountain apart, a blue gem in its forehead, and yellowish orange eyes that glowed like the fires of the underworld.

"That is what we have tried to prevent since the dawn of time." Shadow continued. "That is Ganondorf's true form without the guise of the man that he is trapped within."

Zelda could only stare in frightened awe at the monster before her while Proxy was frozen with fear alongside her. He towered over her as if he was half the size of Hyrule Castle itself and she saw that his shoulders had horns upon them while his red furred fists were covered with the golden gauntlets that Ganondorf wore.

She watched as he crawled from the smoke that was quickly vanishing away and he used his fists to prop himself up. For one second she could only see an animal with a terrible mouth full of sharp teeth and those horrible tusks, but when her eyes met with the beast's, she could see that they were full of the intelligence of a man, but the overwhelming hatred of a monster.

All of which was directed to _her_ and _her_ alone.

All suddenly fell to silence before his voice broke through it.

" **I...** " He wheezed in a deep, mighty voice that rumbled like an earthquake and turned those who heard him into beings as helpless as children trapped in their nightmares in the dark of the night, before roaring into the heavens above. " **AM... GANON**!"

 **TO**

 **BE**

 **CONTINUED...**

 **AGAIN**

* * *

 **-Outtakes-**

 **1\. Uh-oh**

"I'M GOING TO KILL IMPA!" Shadow screamed as he violently took out his opponents. "I'M GOING TO KILL VOLGA! THEN I'M GOING TO FIND LINEBECK! THEN I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!"

Meanwhile, many miles away and upon the sea, a certain sailor felt himself shudder in terror and gripped the steering wheel to his ship like his life depended on it.

"The... the kid found out." Lineback could only stammer as he felt his blood go cold. "That's why I feel the need to run for my life, isn't it?"

 **2\. Why Aryll didn't use Nayru's Love from the start.**

With a determined scowl Aryll took aim and shot the Argorok right in its eye- except that because the magical shield was in the way, the very first arrow quickly bounced back and shot right into Aryll hard enough to knock her back.

 **3\. Ya' done good, kid.**

As Ganondorf screamed in pain from his injury caused by Shadow, a blue portal appeared and someone popped his head out. He silently observed Ganondorf's misery and his bleeding face before going back in the portal, which vanished and reappeared beside the royal siblings.

"Hey you." The siblings looked up to see that the mystery person was grinning with pride from ear to ear at the older brother.

"You finally did it." Shadow–or the incarnation from the alternate timeline of the Hero of Time–grinned at the incarnation of himself from this era as he felt like he was about to cry tears of happiness. "You actually stabbed him in the face! But considering the circumstances, I would have gone a step further and also got him in the Deku Nuts." He added as the two shot him a confused look.

 **4\. MOTHER OF–!**

Zelda was ready to make a move and try to finish Ganondorf off when a nasty reminder came forth almost literally. The Triforce hovered out of Ganondorf's chest and then she remembered just how powerful he was compared to her and everyone else.

"You may have defeated this form..." Ganondorf grunted. "...But I've-"

Before Ganondorf could finish that sentence, something red swooped past him and took the Triforce from him and Ganondorf was once again robbed.

"WHO THE **** DARES TO STEAL FROM ME AT MY HOUR OF TRIUMPH ONCE MORE?!" The king of evil yelled in almighty fury.

A certain skull kid wearing a certain heart shaped mask crackled in delight as he examined his new prize while flying across the battle with his fairy companions at his side. "I wonder what these gold blocks will do if I use them with the mask?"

"You think that guy back there'll kill us?" Tael asked.

"Nah, he looks too slow to keep up." Tatl replied.

"Well whatever the case, it was about time I finally got my cameo!" Skull Kid laughed, but then a shot rang out and he was forced to duck a flying bullet.

"What the-?!" He stopped and turned around to face Zant, who somehow had sunglasses over the eyes of his mask and an actual gun in his hand. (Yeah, we don't know how he got those either. I blame Lexi.)

"I'm getting _really_ sick of your kind." He growled in his bout of quiet irritation.

* * *

 **You guys must have thought that I was going to kill Aryll too, didn't you?**

 **I would NEVER kill Aryll in a Zelda fanfiction. I like her way too much to ever do that to her and doing that to poor Link would be mean. The poor guy rarely gets lucky to have a family member in most Zelda titles.**

 **Its going to take longer to write the next chapter. Sorry for ending this on the most obvious cliffhanger.**

 **Stay patient my fellow readers and have a happy Halloween. :)**


	24. The final battle

**I am highly convinced that I have finally vanquished my Ganon in the form of this semester, and now it is time to end this one for good.**

 **Phantom4700:** Aw thanks :). I REALLY wanted to use Skull Kid and what better way than to troll Ganon a second time. As for your proposal...well... keep reading because you might like what you'll get.

 **TheUnplanner:** I admit, that idea about the parasol would be awesome and I could see that as its own fan fic. Oh boy, this chapter was not easy as I couldn't make it as epic as I wished it could be, but thats up to the reader.

I knew eventually I had to do a team up against Ganondorf with those three because it was begging to happen. There are times where you cannot let such potential go to waste. In the meantime, I had to keep things going with the others, since this world can't live off video game logic and they got some moments to shine.

You know, I really want to get Pokemon Sun/Moon, but this time its only because I want a litten. Funny you made that Pokemon/Earthbound joke. And hey, there's still one more chapter to go if not all goes as you had hoped.

HeroAlexa249: I would so watch this as an anime. Hell, if Zelda WAS an anime period, I'd watch it in a heartbeat!

If I wanted to be a real jerk, I would have killed her off, but Link doesn't need more hell to deal with. Also, about him neglecting Volga? Remember that Shadow isn't quite as noble as Link and he would place a higher value on his loved ones over others if the situation arose. _ESPECIALLY_ if that person was about to get mutilated by Ganondorf.

 **Deleteanddeactivatethisaccoun** t: whoah that is quite a user name there. TENSION INCREASES!

 **Hey guys, I'm sorry it took so long. This semester was getting difficult as time went on and so much writing was involved that I needed to take a break from writing for leisure more often than not. I was able to write when I could, but I also did some things for fun like play** _ **Undertale**_ **for the first time and even made some fan art (which can be found either at deviant art or on tumblr, if you happen to be into it. My name on both those sites is tornrose24 if that helps.)**

 **Thank you for waiting if you've stuck this long. This was not easy to write since I know how epic this fight is supposed to be, but that is meant to be up to interpretation, isn't it? Consider this my happy holidays gift to you, my dear readers.**

* * *

 _ **Just remember in your darkest hour, within your heart's the power,**_

 _ **for making you a hero too.**_

 _ **So don't lose hope when your forlorn,**_

 _ **Just keep your eyes upon the skies,**_

 _ **Every night a star is,**_

 _ **Right in sight a star is,**_

 _ **Burning bright a star is born.**_

 **-** _ **A Star is Born**_ **, from Disney's** _ **Hercules**_

 **Chapter 24: The final battle**

For one brief moment, Zelda found herself locking eyes with Ganon. No matter how monstrous he became, the hatred in his eyes towards her felt all too familiar and a horrible feeling of hopelessness came in that very moment.

Ganon let out one final roar before crawling his way towards his old foe on all fours.

"I don't know how to defeat him!" Zelda let out a panicked confession to Proxy. "I can't see any weak points!" Was it his arms? The horns? The jewel on his head?!

"I'll try to see what I can find!" Proxy took to the sky as Zelda made to back away from the oncoming beast. She learned rather immediately that she could not rush in to attack, for Ganon made one mighty swipe with his arm and knocked everything–debris and even his own underlings–aside to get to her.

"WE GOT TO GO _NOW_!" Impa yelled at Liam as she hurried ahead with the Great Fairy doing her best to hurry alongside her. Liam nodded and hurried to their aid by wrapping his arm around the Great Fairy's other side which was enough to help the three pick up the pace. Though Impa still could not use the naginata to its full potential, Liam was still capable of sending out spells at any oncoming enemies.

"Hey Shadow!" Bethany gritted her teeth as she clenched her wound while hurrying to the Royal siblings. "If you're going to revert back, you better do it now!"

To her shock, the dark form of Link shoved his sister right towards the knight without so much as a glance before running towards Ganon.

"Oh Farore, what do I do?!" Zelda panicked as Ganon began to hurry towards her. Where the heck _was_ his weakness? Even then, how could she still defeat him if he almost made her completely exhausted with the last battle?!

Ganon then did something Zelda wasn't expecting as a horn on one of his shoulders split open and out of it spewed a series of dark pellets. She only just managed to get her shield up and felt each blow knock her back to the point that she eventually toppled onto the ground and struggled to still keep her protection up. She became aware of how much the last fight took its toll on her stamina as she felt a little sore in the arms as well as her feet. She knew she would have to be careful in this fight if she wanted a chance to survive.

Ganon then made to charge towards Zelda, when the great black wolf from earlier barreled right into him. The wolf made to try to claw into Ganon's back, but the boar turned around and tried to whack the other beast away with another enraged roar. Undaunted, the wolf growled and lunged towards Ganon but this time he tried to aim for the face. Ganon reached out to try to grab the wolf and succeeded, but he failed to keep the claws of the beast in mind and the wolf was able to knock him down by hooking his paws around Ganon's tusks and brought him down to the ground.

Zelda was forced to watch the wolf try to subdue Ganon. She knew Ganon was going to win this short fight, despite Shadow's best efforts, for the boar had horns that could impale the wolf, not to mention he also had the more human-like hands to tear him apart.

"What do we do?!" Agitha turned to Zant, who tried to observe this fight carefully as possible. Unfortunately he knew without a doubt that his power was steadily draining and this fight would not be like the last time he encountered that boar like creature since this one was more powerful than that one. Fortunately there were still some pests to take care of as a lot of the monsters were beginning to zero in on Zelda. They already figured out what was going on, but Zant would not allow them to get her.

"Hold on!" Zant grabbed Agitha and transported them to a spot where the monsters were closing in. He took out his scimitars and ran right towards the monsters when he had the chance, while his charge caught on and quickly whipped out her parasol to smack the living daylights out of the nearest monster.

"I still have some fight in me as well!" Ghriahim snarled as he made to join Zant. He transported himself right smack in the center of a group of monsters and began to summon as many projectiles as possible. If this was to be his last battle, then by the gods would he take as many lives as he could.

"We better stay where we are!" Darunia had also took note of the horde, but he saw some coming from his side. "Then we'll get back at that foul creature!"

"You're on!" Ruto readied her hands to create a water spell before unleashing it at the oncoming beasts.

"We're going to be out of bombs at this rate!" Pipit yelled to Groose as they found that their keep was facing more approaching invaders from the distance.

"And we only got five left!" Groose growled to himself before he was forced to light up a bomb and place it in a spot under the catapult of the Groosenator, so that no monster could ever use it against him or his allies.

"Come on, lets go!" Karane yelled as she and the others proceeded to race out of the keep and towards their allies, while the bomb exploded and destroyed the Groosenator.

Meanwhile, the fight between wolf and boar was still going strong. Through the great wolf did his best to claw and tear at the boar, the boar's flesh was like iron and his horns and tusks dug into the wolf's own 'flesh.' Finally the boar grabbed the wolf by a foreleg and tore through its stomach with his tusks as hard as he could and sent a black spray of something similar to blood out of it.

"LINK!" Zelda screamed as the wolf let out an agonized howl before Ganon tossed the wolf off to the side with all of his strength.

She was never prepared for this. No amount of studying or recalling legends could help her now. Even anything _remotely_ similar to this would not help her out as the circumstances were too different. Ganondorf's warning to her was about to become a reality and there was nothing she could do.

" _ **NOT... MINE!"**_ Ganon snarled before returning his attention to Zelda. " **ZELDA..."** He lifted his right hand and a ball of fire began to form within it. **"MINE!"**

Just then Zelda realized something _was_ familiar about this particular attack. In fact, the last attack was also familiar now that she thought of it. This attack made her think back to the first time on this battlefield when she faced King Dodongo.

The fireball finally charged up and she was forced to make a run for it before it made contact with the spot she was just at and it exploded in a burst of flames.

"You saw that, right?!" Proxy asked as he flew to Zelda's side.

"It was like with the Dodongo I faced when we first met!" Zelda agreed before looking around. "I think I got an idea of how to weaken him! EVERYONE!" Zelda yelled as loud as she could. "GIVE ME YOUR BOMBS!"

"What is she going on about?!" Sunny asked Saria, who was just as confused. Elsewhere, Groose had heard this call and had a strange feeling–call it faith if you will–that Zelda knew what she was doing.

"HEY ZEL!" He ran towards his friend and pulled out his bomb bag while Ganon continued to try to go after her. Ganon's pace seemed to pick up as he tried his hardest to get after the very thing he wanted to destroy above all else. He wanted nothing more than to slaughter her– _it was all he wanted to live for and nothing else_.

"Here!" Groose finally caught up with Zelda, but he was too close to Ganon. The beast saw the red-headed youth coming and made to swipe at him, but he was too late in preventing Groose from tossing the bomb bag to Zelda. She had to fight her hardest to ignore Ganon swiping at her friend who was sent flying away with a scream as she took a bomb out- there would be no need to light it. Groose himself flew into the dead ground and he felt his leg snap upon impact, causing him to let out a scream of pain.

Satisfied that Groose was out of the picture, Ganon turned to Zelda and readied that fireball once more, but the young woman ran towards him with bomb in hand.

"THIS ONE IS FOR ALL THE COMPANIONS YOU KILLED!" Zelda screamed as she threw the bomb into the fireball, which sucked it in. Immediately there was an explosion that knocked Ganon back a little but his golden gauntlet was not so lucky and shattered from the blast.

"We got him!" Proxy cheered.

"But he'll be twice as mad." Zelda gritted her teeth as she watched Ganon try to steady himself.

"BROTHER!" Aryll screamed as she knelt beside the fallen wolf, who shrunk back down to her size and which changed back into Shadow. He tried his hardest not to scream as he clutched his torso and stomach, which sill bore the deep injury that Ganon gave him.

"He is not getting my kingdom or my Zelda!" Shadow snarled as he bared his teeth at Ganon. "Not while I can still breathe!"

"Shadow!" upon hearing his name, Shadow looked around until he saw Impa, the Great Fairy, and Liam who was the one to call out his name. "Now is the time! We have the Great Fairy to heal you!"

Shadow was stunned by how much fortune quickly changed in his favor, but he still let out a wide grin of relief before grabbing the dark mirror from his side, despite how much pain the action caused him. "Well I guess we can't keep y'all waiting anymore!" Shadow yelled in triumph as he held the mirror up and already saw the familiar blue and green magic swirling within it. It was time for Link to finally come back and remerge back with Shadow once again. "IT'S TIME FOR THE REAL ME TO COME ON OUT AND FACE THE LIGHT!" He laughed as the magic shot forth and engulfed him. "COME AND MERGE BACK WITH ME, YA GLORIOUSLY LUCKY GUY!"

He felt the magic engulf him and slowly he felt himself be reabsorbed back into his original body. As he felt himself be calmed down as his mind began to regain the traits that made him Link once again, the fight still continued on.

"The bomb won't be enough!" Zelda yelled as she put the bomb bag away before making a run for it. Ganon's movements were slowed by the injury caused on his hand, but he was seeing red and black as his desire to kill the girl steadily rose. "In fact I'm pretty sure he'll try to change tactics! He's not that stupid!" Right on cue, Ganon made to lunge for Zelda who forced herself to dart in another direction and made her opponent crash through the walls of one of the keeps.

"Holy mother of Din!" One of the knights shrieked as they ran away from the debris and, in turn, Ganon, while Pipit and Karane hurried to rescue Groose. Ganon snarled and whipped around, smashing the rest of the keep with his tail in the process, and turned to face Zelda.

" **NO... ESCAPE!"** He yelled as he moved his arms out to his sides and began to fly up into the air. **"YOU... DIE!"**

"Ok, ok, what's going to happen next?!" Zelda gritted her teeth as she stared at Ganon. "There's got to be a way to pull him down if he's going to take to the air!" Ganon let out a blast of fire from his mouth and Zelda had to get away as fast as she could, but she then noticed that his tail lit up with a blue light.

Liam gasped as he realized what had to be done next. He abandoned Impa and the others as he rushed towards the fray. "LADY ASHEI!" He yelled at Ashei, who cautiously watched the fight. The white sorcerer pulled out the hookshot and gave it a quick enchantment. "GIVE THIS TO ZELDA!" He yelled at the knight and when she turned to face him, he transported the hookshot to her with aid of his magic. Ashei quickly took the hookshot when it appeared in her hands and she ran to Zelda without a moment's hesitation.

Ganon turned back to Zelda as she yelled out "IF ANYONE HAS A WEAPON TO GIVE ME THAT I CAN USE AGAINST HIM, NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME!"

"Here!" Ashei yelled as she ran towards Zelda and stood by her side. "When he takes to the sky, I'll hand it to you!"

"We got a bow we haven't used yet!" Sunny gasped as she looked at Saria. "Zelda will need it!"

Saria grinned and ran towards the fray. Her animal companions caught word of this and both Moosh and Dimitri cleared the way by attacking the monsters while Saria used her staff to vault over one monster. Ricky turned to Saria and held his fists out and when she leapt onto them, he tossed her as high as he could into the sky where she quickly turned the staff into a large deku leaf and used it to glide towards her friend. "I'm coming, Zelda!" She cried out.

"We got a boomerang that we found!" A Goron held up the weapon before tossing it as hard as he could towards Geode and Ruto. Geode caught it before it could retreat back to the other Goron and though it hurt his hand, he still made a run towards Zelda. "This is for Orik and our brothers!" Geode yelled.

At that point Ganon had taken to the sky again, at which point Ashei quickly handed the hookshot to Zelda. "Make us proud or else!" She yelled at Zelda before Ganon made to take aim at Zelda. When he unleashed his fire, Zelda ran at the same time Ashei threw the sword at his face before making a run for it. Ashei felt Ganon's fire burn a part of her side and she could only let out a furious scream through her teeth as she tried to avoid getting completely engulfed by the flames.

While Ganon was distracted, Zelda saw the tip of his tail change colors and she took her aim. When it made successful contact, she grabbed the handle of the hookshot and pulled as hard as she could. "I'M-" She tugged "-GOING-" again "-TO-" again "-WIN THIS TIME!" She yelled as she pulled with an enhanced strength that she would never have been able to possess on her own and she brought her foe down to the ground while causing a burst of purple and white magic to erupt from his tail. Ganon let out another furious roar and whipped around to attack Zelda, but the girl had already ran and he only managed to destroy the earth with his claws.

"I got something to help you out!" Saria held out a bow and some arrows in her free hand for Zelda as she came towards the fight. Zelda grinned and hurried towards them as fast as she could.

"Give us the word and we'll pass them out!" Sunny cried.

"We might need you guys to load an arrow ahead of time!" Proxy cried back.

"Heh," Bethany laughed at the sight before gazing at her own bow in regret. "Too bad I can't be there and just shoot him." She sighed. "If it wasn't for my injury, I'd-"

"Your assistance might still be required."

Bethany turned around to see Link standing right before her. He was completely healed and standing on his own two feet and even though he still looked a little beaten up with bloodied and torn clothing from his last fight with Ganondorf, he seemed ready to fight. "Thanks to the Great Fairy, I didn't have to ask Sidian to break my wrist or my leg to get them healed properly!" Link let out a nervous laugh.

"He was dead serious about it." Sidian deadpanned and Impa and Aryll shuddered at the thought.

" **FIGHT ME WITHOUT THEM!"** The beast roared at Zelda as he lunged towards her, but the girl grabbed Saria by the wrist and ran as fast as she could. She felt a part of him collide into her and both girls were sent flying into the ground, but Saria kept a hold on the bow and arrows (all of which miraculously stayed intact and in the quiver).

For one moment, Zelda was now aware of how exhausted she really was. The adrenaline from this fight distracted her from it, but she could feel how strained certain parts of her body were. She was even at that point where gasping for air and gulping it down was painful to her throat. A part of her wished so much that she could turn back into that divine form from way back when. That invincibility and endless stamina that was granted to her would have been a welcome advantage.

But if it came at the risk of losing her identity in a sea of past lives that were combined into one then it was it worth it? If it meant that she would turn into something similar to Ganon? No–if it were still possible, then she would have to be ready to sacrifice herself. Until then, she would have to keep fighting, no matter how much she wanted to stop.

"Come on!" Saria helped pull Zelda up and the two turned to face Ganon. He growled as he readied his other hand and a orb of white with red and black sparks began to charge up as the lightning around the battlefield continued to increase.

"Better give me that bow!" Zelda quickly put her sword away as Saria handed the bow to her. The younger girl then swung her staff out to summon a wall of trees to protect them from the magic orb that shot out from Ganon's attack. The girls just ducked in the nick of time before the orb shot across the spot where they just stood and knocked down several trees in the process and disintegrated them into ashes.

Without even hesitating, Zelda rose up with her bow ready in hand. The moment she saw Ganon's palm glow with a blue light, she took aim. "Watch us fly." She whispered before letting the arrow go. It soared through the air and, as if guided by a steady hand from above, the arrow landed right into Ganon's palm and caused a blast of magic to erupt from the wound. The great boar roared as he nearly fell backward and already he looked quite damaged. Two gauntlets had been destroyed now, and Zelda knew she had to break through all his defenses.

"Good luck, Zelda!" Saria took up her staff and hurried off to the side to help the others out.

"We also have a weapon that could be of use!" Geode yelled as he held the boomerang up for Zelda to see. "Let us make our ancestors proud!"

Zelda grinned and nodded. "That's a promise!" She said as she put the bow and arrows away and took the Master Sword back out. She held the weapon in her non-dominant hand and hurried to Geode.

Ganon snarled as he regained his posture. It now hurt to use both his hands to crawl across the ground, but he had no intention of going back to his other form. Not if it gave him a durability that was not allowed to him as a man. He watched his opponent hurry to the Goron and he desired to just get rid of all these pests that were helping her. She had so much in abundance but that would only mean more guilt for her.

He _should_ have gone after that green haired child. If she was part of an extinct race that caused the Hero of Time so much pain, then she could have easily been a distraction to this hero. Perhaps he could make that Goron as a substitute.

"Almost all the monsters are dead!" Geode told Zelda as she took the boomerang from his hand. "We'll be able to give you all our help!"

"I'd appreciate it!" Zelda turned back to Ganon. "I'll need it pretty soon!"

Proxy then sensed a change in the atmosphere and saw that a thunderbolt was going to strike Zelda by the white light under her feet. "Zelda look out!" He screamed.

"Huh?!" Zelda looked around in alarm to see what the cause was, but only Geode saw what was about to happen and tackled her to the side. His arms wrapped around her in a signature Goron hug and they fell to the ground before the thunderbolt could strike them down. They both could feel the blast of air and a quick change in temperature but they were also briefly stunned, which was just as good as what Ganon had initially desired.

Geode loosened his grip on Zelda and both got onto their knees, but they turned their heads in time to see that–much like near the start of the battle–the horns on Ganon's shoulders literally split open.

Zelda knew that she would not be able to get her shield out in time, but Geode's instincts told him to protect the hero at all costs and the very moment he jumped in front of Zelda and threw his arms out, several dark projectiles shot out from Ganon's horns.

Each pellet shot out at such a speed that the impact was like getting stabbed repeatedly in the back. A normal person would have immediately died from the repeated pellets shot to their back and for Geode it was almost just as painful. Even having rock like skin couldn't spare him from the pain and he let out a terrible scream while Zelda could only stare in horror.

"Zelda, the boomerang!" Proxy reminded Zelda. The girl's grip on the weapon tightened as she waited for this fresh horror to be over and when the pellets stopped, she made a quick dash around Geode and readied her weapon.

"STOP HURTING MY FRIENDS!" She screamed as she threw the boomerang at Ganon. The boomerang twisted and turned across the air in a perfect arc and Zelda watched as it crashed into the 'mouths' and severed them completely off Ganon's shoulders. The beast let out an agonized roar and Zelda turned in time to see that Geode had collapsed on the ground. His back was already cracked and dark from the repeated projectiles and for one moment Zelda cared more about her companion than Ganon himself.

"Geode!" Zelda quickly hurried to the Goron's aid, but he looked at her with defiant eyes that winced from the pain and he cried out "Leave me and save Hyrule!" before collapsing.

Zelda quickly turned back to Ganon. He was very damaged, with both shoulder horns gone, one tusk broken off, both gauntlets destroyed, and even the tip of his tail had been severed from the hookshot. There was no other weapon she could think of that could weaken Ganon before using her old friend on him but the more injured a beast was, the more dangerous and determined it became.

Meanwhile, those who were still fighting in the castle had just managed to get past the town and were approaching the battlefield. As the king fought his way through with his sword, Vaati sent out gusts of wind to blow away several monsters, while that once unlucky Rito girl took to the sky with her wings and charged into some monsters. Indeed, those masters of the sky and the winds were the greatest aid for that side of the battle.

At the same time, the Crown Prince was about ready to pray for aid.

"Hylia, give me your blessings and your strength to aid our champion in this battle." Link held Bethany's bow up to the sky as rays of yellow light rose from under his feet. "Divine protectors of Hyrule, lend me the aid that you have bestowed to my ancestors. Lend me the hope of my people and turn this bow into a weapon of light!"

Link summoned all his power and focused it into the bow. He could feel his noble lineage coursing through him and into the weapon, and he could feel the welcoming warmth radiate from it. The bow flared with a golden light and when the light dimmed, he could see that the bow had grown in size and changed its shape from a humble, yet practical appearance to a dazzling combination of white and gold designs.

"Oh this is going to make one heck of a story to my friends and family." Bethany stared in awed disbelief at the new appearance of her bow, which already had a splendid looking arrow with a yellow light at its tip.

Link smiled at the weapon before taking it. _"Everyone who still has their strength."_ His voice came out in a strange ethereal tone as he used his magic to connect to every warrior on the battlefield. " _The light arrows are in my possession, but I need your energy to power it. Let Ganon feel our judgement through the light, so that the final blow can be delivered."_ He then broke out into a run towards Zelda and Ganon, ready to fulfill his part in this final stand.

"I lend you all my power, brother!" Aryll held her hand towards her brother and a yellow light similar to his own escaped from her hand and went towards the bow of light.

"All the energy I have," Impa also held her hands out to Link and a yellow light mixed with traces of shadow purple like hues came out. "I too shall place it in the Light arrows!" She cried as the light went to Link.

"As do I!" Liam held his hand out and a yellow light came out.

"Same here!" Saria yelled as her own light was mixed with with forest green colors.

Both Ruto and Darunia focused on their lights. One had colors as blue as the waters of Zora's Domain while the other had colors as red as the fires of Death Mountain.

Zant merely smiled and offered his power to the descendant of his old friend while Agitha added her power through a prayer. Elsewhere, Ghirahim offered up his power to the young man as he briefly reflected on how much the people of Hylia had changed and he felt reassured that all would be well, no matter what path he would choose for himself.

From Bethany who stayed by Aryll's side, to Groose who was being aided back to safety by Pipit and Karane, all the knights willed their power to their future king.

Ganon snarled as he stared down the girl and the fairy companion. Did she honestly think those weapons would be enough to defeat him? He wouldn't even dare let her pierce his body with her blade. He had made this form be too strong to be pierced by even the traitorous Master Sword himself.

"Now what Zelda?!" Proxy asked. "You'll never get a chance to injure him if he keeps moving around!"

Ganon let out a battle cry and made to charge at Zelda as the jewel in his forehead began to glow. The girl herself was struggling to stay on her feet as fighting for what felt like hours was slowly taking its toll on her. Still she forced herself to make a run for it and although Ganon did not hit her, she still felt her legs give out and she fell to the ground.

In charging towards Zelda, Ganon did not see that someone was running towards him and he only realized it too late the moment he saw a familiar shade of green and a golden light (Hylia's signature magic. A light from the light spirits. _ **A light from the Hero of Time herself**_.)

Link pulled the bow string back and the light from the light arrow flared up. "This one's for what you've done!" Link told Ganon as the light grew to a dazzling brilliance. "For _all_ that you've done!"

Link let go of the arrow, which then split into three majestic lights as it hurled towards the monster known as the King of Evil. All three lights sped towards their target in little time and when they pierced Ganon, a yellow glow erupted all over Ganon's form and froze him in a position where his hands and knees were on the ground.

" **NO!"** He yelled when he felt that familiar sting of light. **"YOU!"** He yelled at the defiant young man who held his bow steady. " **I WILL NEVER LET YOU BEST ME!"** He struggled to break free from the light of the arrows, which gave the feeling of being buried under something heavy while numbing his muscles at the same time. **"YOU WRETCHED SPAWN OF HYLIA AND THE ROYAL FAMILY!"**

"Zelda!" Proxy cried out to a weary Zelda who had watch the whole thing. "Just a few more minutes and then it'll all be over!"

Zelda briefly turned to Proxy, but instead of the fairy, she saw a familiar face from earlier that day. He gave her an encouraging smile as he held out his hand to her.

" _Go and fulfill your destiny Zelda."_ Ivan encouraged Zelda. _"We all know you can do it."_

Zelda took a deep breath and nodded as her determination was renewed. "Time to end this." She took the Master Sword out and its hilt felt like a hand was reassuring her that all would be right. She turned around towards Ganon and summoned what strength she still had to push herself off the ground and run towards her foe.

 _I never had a difficult childhood, nor was I an orphan. I have lived an average life up until this war._ Zelda's thoughts began to race as she reflected upon herself.

Ganon let out a furious roar and still struggled to break free from the light. For one moment it appeared that he was indeed going to succeed as he moved his hand by a couple inches.

"You're not going anywhere!" Darunia and Ruto appeared behind Ganon. The Goron slammed his hammer into the ground and a flaming pillar of earth shot out of the ground and pierced through Ganon's foot. The beast furiously howled in agony but his woes were far from over.

 _My strength has been my own and the Triforce of Courage was merely a gift that came to me by lucky fate._

"You will never be able to defeat Lady Wolf!" Zant summoned a large stone pillar embedded with Twili runes and magic and he sent it right into Ganon's other foot. _"EVER!"_ Zant declared over Ganon's howling. Now there was no way for Ganon to pull himself free from his spot so easily, but there were still more who wanted him to stay where he was.

 _I was never born and raised into a life right from out of a fairy tale like up in the skies or in a forest._

"I think I'm starting to enjoy this, Demise!" Ghirahim laughed as he changed his own sword into a large blade and impaled it through Ganon's hand.

 _And while I know that I'll not be like those before me, even if I'm just another reincarnation of one person, I would rather be myself in this lifetime than anyone else._

"Time will always be your enemy, Ganon!" Liam yelled as he sent a spell out and trapped Ganon's free hand in a cube of light that sent out jolts of electricity into it.

Now Ganon was completely trapped. When he felt so much pain in his limbs, he could still feel the light magic begin to fade. His reassurance did not last, as Link immediately shot more light arrows into his face.

 _The knowledge of the past is an advantage, the present is my moment, the future is my goal._

"Our will is as strong as yours Ganon!" Link shouted. "But the will and support combined for us all will be greater than your own!"

Link noticed Zelda run to Ganon and he smiled with pride. Those who could still witness this fight watched as girl and beast stared each other down and they knew, without a doubt, that the moment of triumph was at hand.

Eyes of reddish yellow glared in spite at the blue eyes filled with courage and determination.

 _And whether or not there is more than one hero in every life or every other timeline or universe, I can't afford to stop fighting now. This is my time to set things right._

Zelda's grip on the hilt of her weapon tightened. This would be the last monster that would fall to the Master Sword while she was his Mistress in this lifetime and she would savor every moment of it. She had to make sure her hand was swift and strong, for all their sakes. Especially for all those who were lost in this war that spanned so many ages.

Ganon merely laughed–a very unsettling and crazed laugh mixed with some insanity–in her face. **"YOU THINK YOU CAN WIN?!"** He demanded. **"EVEN IF YOU DO, I'LL STILL COME BACK! I ALWAYS WILL!"**

Zelda took a deep breath and held her sword out to her side before she began to approach Ganon. She would not let his words get to her.

" **EVEN ALL THE SACRIFICES YOUR ALLIES HAVE MADE WILL ALL AMOUNT TO NOTHING! IT WAS ALL IN VAIN!"**

Zelda felt as if her strength was slowly returning to her. Perhaps it was adrenaline, or perhaps it was her imagination, but the Master Sword felt as light as a feather as he began to glow with a yellow light. He knew what was to come and he gave his Mistress the encouragement to go on and fulfill their last dance for this lifetime.

" **YOU WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN BORN WITHOUT ME!"** Ganon roared frantically. **"IT IS BECAUSE OF ME THAT YOU EVEN EXIST!"**

"SHUT UP!" Zelda screamed as she held the Master Sword out and felt him reach his full power before unleashing a spin attack right through Ganon's snout.

Ganon let out an agonized growl, but there was so little else he could do, so long as the magic from the light arrows kept him in place, along with four kinds of weapons holding him down. Zelda did not stop attacking and continued to set out a barrage of swings, with each one feeling strong yet light as if it would never tire her. No thoughts ran in her head but those to end her foe as if he were any other monster or opponent.

One little part called out to her to do something, so that there would be no sudden changes in Ganon's favor. If he were to do to Proxy or anyone else what he had done to Ivan, then it must never happen again.

"Keep steady!" Liam yelled as he used all his strength to keep his magic around Ganon's hand. "We're almost done!"

"KICK HIS BUTT!" Proxy screamed as Zelda grabbed onto Ganon's remaining tusk (at least the one that was larger in comparison to the smaller ones) and hoisted herself up onto it. She almost lost her footing on the slippery blood that had gotten onto the tusk but she held steady and pushed herself towards the eye of Ganon that was closest to her. She dove the Master Sword into the eye and only managed to turn her face away in the nick of time before a burst of blood erupted from the wound and gushed out into the air as well as spray the cause of the injury with the shower of drops that came with it.

The resulting scream was deafening as she held onto the sword for dear life. In his rage, Ganon was able to shake his head as hard as he could as a result of the attack, but the injury was only made worse as when Zelda fell because the Master Sword pulled up into the eye before it slipped out and cut through the eye socket and lower face in the process.

" **YOU WRETCH!"** Ganon screamed. **"YOU DAMN WRETCH!"**

At this point, the magic of the light arrows died out and Ganon was free to try to pull himself out of the 'chains' that kept him down, but it was not over for Zelda. She had intended to blind Ganon and pay back in due as he was beyond the point of being granted mercy.

"YOU BROUGHT IT UPON YOURSELF WHEN YOU CHOSE TO OPPOSE HYRULE AND ALL WHO LIVE HERE!" Zelda screamed back as the Master Sword charged up again. She was partly covered with Ganon's blood and her sword was almost completely covered with it, but her grip stayed tight on the unaffected hilt.

"You can do it Zelda!" Link yelled.

" _End this war... for all our sakes."_ A voice called out to her in her mind.

The sword glowed as she concentrated all her strength into it. She fully willed herself to become one with the blade and she could feel it all the way down to it's tip. She could feel its ageless power and she could feel her own power inside her.

She let out a battle scream as she unleashed a great spin that crashed into Ganon's face over and over, but she did not stop there. Even at the very moment she stopped, she let her sword charge up again before she ran to Ganon. She stabbed him in the face over and over and over again as her allies kept him down so that he could pay for all that he had done.

"I AM ZELDA!" She yelled at Ganon before arching the sword back–It glowed with a blue light and she felt a weightlessness about herself as if the sword could take her into the sky if she made that swing.

She _wanted_ to go up and back to where it all began. She wanted to into the heavens, where her life once started so many eons ago.

"AND THIS WAS WHY I WAS CHOSEN TO OPPOSE YOU!"

She ran and then made an upper cut that sliced through Ganon's snout and, though the power of her swing, she found herself soaring upward as if she had been granted wings. The Master Sword helped give her that much needed boost of power she so desired to take her home into the sky. Higher and higher she rose, towering over Ganon and still she went upward.

In those few moments, time slowed down as she embraced her freedom and her power. For those few moments, memories of many lifetimes raced across her thoughts. Faces both long gone and still with her came into mind. Every part of her that was once a hero in another life seemed to give her all the strength she needed.

 _Everyone... my families... my friends... my loved ones... those who can't protect themselves or need to know that someone will take a stand and refuse to back down, even in their own moments of doubt and in the darkest hours... that is who I want to be._

Blue light coursed through the Master Sword and it sent out multiple streams of it into the air. All eyes could only see both sword and Mistress in that moment.

Her other hand clasped onto the hilt of the sword in that moment when she had reached as high as she possibly could and time stopped for just one second.

Time to end this for good.

Zelda embraced the sensation of free-falling back down to the earth as her stomach rolled around inside her. She embraced the feeling of the wind rushing against her and her hair and clothing. She embraced the feeling of the bond between herself and the Master Sword in her hands as she used him for the final blow in both her life and in this era. She just allowed herself to enjoy this moment of freedom for as long as it could before the Master Sword made his mark and struck the jewel in Ganon's forehead. The force and the power shattered through the jewel and pierced deep into his forehead, and Zelda held onto the hilt as tightly as she could so that the blade could fulfill his part in her destiny.

Ganon let out a mighty roar and furiously shook his head as the throbbing pain went through his skull and more. Miraculously, his foe was still able to hold onto the handle of her blade as she felt herself get thrown about in each direction, but she was able to plant her feet onto Ganon's head before pulling the Master Sword out and found herself flying backwards towards the ground. At the same time, each warrior who helped keep Ganon imprisoned released their hold on him, be it through magic or by weapon, and Ganon was free to rear up on his hind legs and grab his head with his hands and let out a deafening yell.

Zelda panted for breath as she got back onto her feet–her legs were shaking from all the terrible excitement and she didn't know if she would pass out or not. She took the Master Sword in hand and watched as Ganon slowly reared back down to the ground while Link and Liam approached her. For one moment it was as if Ganon would try to attack her one last time, but then his body collapsed onto the ground. The great Ganon had finally been bested once more.

Before anyone could say anything, three glowing lights escaped from Ganon's body which then changed into the familiar shape of the holy Triforce in all its much welcomed glory.

She knew what she had to do. Ever since she was able to learn enough to know what happened, one thing had to be done. She owed it to those who had to suffer for the consequences. She wasn't even afraid by her choice or what it would mean for her.

"This has to end." Zelda panted. "I can't let the cycle continue."

"What are you talking about?" Liam asked.

Zelda held her hand out towards the Triforce. "I want to break Demise's curse for good."

"But if you do that, you'll–!" Liam was horrified, but he had no time to finish the sentence as the Triforce divided and went to the three who best deserved their share. Zelda accepted hers and felt herself be rejuvenated to her full strength once more, while Link calmly accepted his own as he realized that he too also wanted to end the cycle for good. Liam was just lucky to catch his in time and though the extra boost of magic was nice, he was more concerned about what Zelda had in mind.

"You can't stop the curse! It already branches into different timelines!" Liam protested.

"Then at least we can stop it in this one." Link said as he stared at Ganon–the cause of misery for many. "I'd rather stop being reborn then let so many suffer in the future."

Liam could not believe what he was hearing, and yet he knew it was bound to happen. In a time where both hero and prince were aware of the root of all the troubles and were granted a rare opportunity then it would be highly possible they would want to stop the cycle. He was not firmly convinced it would end for good and they would have to be subjected to the other timelines if they were denied reincarnation for good in this one.

But there was no time to try to argue further. Ganon would try to go after them at any moment when he realized what had happened. "I hope you are making the right choice." He sighed as he grabbed Zelda's shoulder and willed the Triforce of Power to go to her.

"We are." Link firmly reassured Liam as he grabbed Zelda's hand and willed the Triforce of Wisdom into her. The moment Zelda felt a strange sensation as if she could be as powerful as a God, she gazed upon her hand to see all three marks glowing on her hand and she quickly raised it to the sky.

"O sacred Triforce," She began as Ganon began to stir. "Break the curse that Demise placed upon both my soul and that of Link's and which bind us to his incarnation of hatred. End the cycle of reincarnation and the endless torment that follows us. Deny Ganondorf the right to be forever reborn as the incarnation of hatred! END THIS FIGHT FOR GOOD!" She yelled as the Triforce escaped from her hand, just as Ganon began to get up.

The Triforce's golden light grew and the sacred relic trembled. Just before Ganon could even gaze upon it, a great beam of light shot out and struck Ganon in the chest. All watched as the beast let out one final roar of defiance as the light burned through him, but he could only take so much before it became too agonizing for him to bare. Soon the light became so bright that Link, Zelda, and Liam were forced to turn away and block their eyes as the yellow light turned to white.

Seconds passed... and then... peace.

The light faded to reveal that the once tarnished sky had reverted to a beautiful sunset of calming purples and oranges. Through the land was horribly destroyed and the castle and the town on the verge of ruin, there was no signs of any more monsters in the area. Apparently even those who served Ganon had been destroyed with him.

On the outskirts near the castle, King Alfon stared at the sky as he took in the changes and sighed in relief. All around him, the rebellious fighters ceased in their fighting as they wondered if the battle had truly ended or if this was all a dream. Some like Medli could only smile and relax as their hopes were reassured.

"The winds have changed." Vaati could not help but comment in amazement as he approached his king. "They must have defeated Ganondorf."

"Of course they did." Alfon smiled. "They are all people of Hyrule after all."

Meanwhile, Karane, Pipit, and Groose sighed in relief as they all collapsed to the ground. "Oh thank Hylia it's over." Karane sighed. "Whose ready to just lie down and take a nap?" Both men groaned in approval.

Meanwhile, Volga stirred from his slumber and began to awake. He was still hurting from his injuries, but he was able to awake to the sight of many knights who collapsed from exhaustion, while Epona stood beside him. She lightly bumped the great dragon with her head as if to tell him 'I hope you are feeling well.'

Princess Aryll helped the Great Fairy back up and she smiled at Impa. "They really did it! I knew they would!" She cried in delight.

"They did indeed." Impa smiled with pride at Zelda and Link.

Meanwhile, Sidian tried to help Geode onto his feet, but the other groaned in protest as it hurt too much to move. He was about to call for help, when a certain Goron and Zora approached them and the latter knelt beside Geode.

"D... Darunia," Geode whispered in awe. "R...Ruto?"

"You and all the other Gorons make your ancestors proud." Darunia smiled at Geode.

Ruto smiled. "Farewell, Geode. May we see each other again in another life." She leaned in and gently kissed the Goron on the forehead.

Geode gave Ruto a tired, but happy smile in return. "Farewell, my wonderful Lady."

Ashei turned to watch as Zant and Agitha went towards Zelda. "Thank you for coming when we needed you!" She called to them.

"You are welcome, Lady Ashei!" Zant waved back to her.

Ghirahim could only stare at the sight before he let out a deep sigh. "It is going to be worth it." He reassured himself as he remembered what was to come for him in his own era. "You will not lose her forever." He raised a hand out and snapped his fingers to teleport himself away.

Zelda shuddered as she tried to wipe Ganon's blood off the side of her face that got drenched in the fight. Goddesses above, it was not pleasant for any of the senses and she wanted it removed as soon as possible.

"Zelda," Proxy gently spoke as he flew beside his companion. "Look."

Zelda stopped what she was doing and looked, alongside Link and Liam. Standing before them were those from the past: Ghirahim, Ruto, Darunia, Zant, and Agitha. All of them gazed upon the three in a sort of calm respect and pride, yet Zelda had a feeling that this was now the moment where she had to say good-bye to them once more. In some ways it was worse than the first time because they had been granted one chance to remember her one last time as well as the others.

"Whatever happens," Agitha reminded them with a smile. "Please remember for us."

"We'll always be here for you." Ruto told them with a smile. "Whether we are in the history books or if another crisis occurs."

"And we'll be ready if that ever happens!" Darunia laughed.

"But what about the changes that did happen? What will you do?" Liam asked in concern. "I don't know if your memories will fade again or not, but I can't fix the other consequences."

"Then we'll have to accept them." Zant replied. "There's no such thing as accident, is there?"

"Fate works in peculiar ways." Ghirahim agreed. "Make the most of your victory, will you?"

The group began to ripple, like they were part of a sea, and they slowly began to fade. Deep in her heart, Zelda didn't want them to go and though she held her hand out to reach for them one last time, she knew they all had to go back where they needed to be.

"I promise I won't let you be forgotten!" Zelda yelled as she waved goodbye. "We will always be grateful for all you've done"

" _Good bye Zelda!"_ She could hear them call out to her as they slowly faded with the sound of their laughter echoing out to her. _"Good bye!" "Bye everyone!" "Farewell!" "We trust you!"_

And then, as if they were just dreams, they all completely vanished away as if they had never been there to begin with.

Zelda didn't know whether to cry for the departure of her companions or because it was finally over. Either way, she had to move on.

She lifted the Master Sword up and a strange feeling overcame her, like she was forgetting something. Was the battle not yet over? Then she remembered that there was one place that had been neglected the last time they thought it was all over with. How could she have been so stupid?! All peace vanished in an instant as relief turned to dread.

She gasped. "The Master Sword's resting place!" She turned to Link. "That was where the final fragment of Ganondorf's soul had been hiding! What if its still there?!"

Understanding dawned on Link as his bittersweet smile vanished in place of a look of concern. "Then we'll have to check it together." He declared.

"You probably should." They both turned to Liam who could only give them a smile. "I'll make sure Ganondorf can never take the Triforce again if your suspicion is correct. I'm going to trust your judgement and besides–I think its time for the Master Sword to go back to his rest."

"Give this to either General Impa or Princess Aryll," Zelda held her hand out and the Triforce glowed on the back of her hand. "Let them wish for Hyrule to return back to the way it used to be."

"And tell my sister that all of Hyrule will support her, should we not make it back alive." Link added. "That and that I'll love her forever and always."

"You do realize that if the wish was fulfilled, you might never see her again in this timeline?" Liam asked.

"It doesn't matter to me. Reincarnations or not, she will _always_ be my sister, just as everyone will always be my friends and allies."

Liam then accepted the Triforce, though he wished it did not have to be under these circumstances. "I can never be sorry enough for all that I put you through." He told them as he felt the relic enter him. "Its my fault that so many died and Ganondorf almost fulfilled his wish."

"You don't have to apologize anymore." Zelda smiled at Liam. "You're help was of more value than you think and I already forgave you a long time ago."

Liam smiled back. "Thank you Zelda." He pulled back when the power was fully absorbed. "No matter what happens, you two save Hyrule... together."

"I'm coming with you." Proxy declared to Zelda. "I started with you at the very beginning and I'm going to see it to the end!"

Zelda laughed. "Thanks Proxy." She turned back to Liam one last time. "The truth is, we had the honor to fight alongside many true heroes in this war. I would never have gotten to this point if it weren't for them, so give them the recognition they deserve."

Link held his hand out and Zelda accepted it as a wind began to blow into them. The green magic of Farore's wind then encircled them, along with Proxy until it completely hid them from view and with a small burst of light, all three vanished from sight.

"Whatever happens now," Liam said aloud "I promise I will never get these events repeat ever again. Not when there are those who can help me in this effort."

"Please," He looked into the sky "let this tale have a happy ending for all our sakes."

* * *

 **-FINAL OUTTAKES!-**

 **-1. CURSES! FOILED AGAIN!-**

For one brief moment, Zelda found herself locking eyes with Ganon. No matter how monstrous he became, the hatred in his eyes towards her felt all too familiar and a horrible feeling of hopelessness came in that very moment.

Then she calmly sat down and placed a bottle next to her before she took out a fishing rod and a bug catching net.

"THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Someone yelled. Zelda ignored it as a certain knight came to sit beside her and began to play the Kakariko Village theme on his acoustic guitar.

"I'm taking the lazy way out." Zelda merely answered as Ganon stared in awed fixation on both objects in her hands. "Here boy, go fish!" Zelda called out to Ganon as she casted the lure out.

"THIS GAG WAS ONLY FUNNY THE FIRST TIME!" Liam protested before he saw Shadow walk up behind Zelda and set up a strange device on the ground. "And that is that?!"

"Something I'd like to call the Master Rocket Launcher." Shadow snapped on a pair of sunglasses. "Because you need a bit of 'cheap' to go with 'lazy.'" He aimed it at Ganon. "Now taste the rainbow, you BBQ pulled pork sandwich!"

 **-2. An itch to scratch. (I can't believe this DLC happened and allowed this joke to exist.)-**

"Gee golly!" A strange man in a purple bunny robe and an odd accent declared as he found himself right smack in the middle of the battlefield. He turned to Shadow and Aryll and asked "Hey, what's going on here? I thought I wasn't supposed to be in this timeline for Hyrule."

Shadow stared at the bunny man with a look of malice before scowling. And then, before the purple bunny man could say a word, Shadow sped right up to him and gave him a punch so hard that the impact was enough to knock the man to the ground.

"Brother, what the heck was that for?!" Aryll demanded.

" _Purple wearing bunny merchants_." Shadow hissed as he cracked his knuckles. "I _knew_ I should have seen this coming."

And finally...

 **-KARMATIC JUSTICE!-**

"Ugh," Ganondorf groaned as he sat up and rubbed his head. "What just happened?" He looked around and realized that he was surrounded by an endless cloud filled blue sky. "This isn't Hyrule."

"You are damn right on that one." A familiar voice spat out venemously.

Ganondorf turned around to see a small table where four people that he _knew_ he had already killed were seated with their weapons beside them. One by one they set down their cards and grabbed their weapons before slowly rising. At this moment, music began to play which could only be described as a combination of _'Requiem for a Dream'_ and _'Megalovania'_ (The one from _Undertale_ that belongs to Toby Fox) going at the exact same time.

"I waited for a really long time for this exact moment, Ganondorf." Nabooru began as she turned around to face him. "You knew this was coming."

Ganondorf merely laughed as he readied a spell. "You four think you can honestly defeat me after–" He stopped when he realized that he could not feel his magic coursing through him.

"This is a place where those good at heart are allowed to use their powers." Koji informed him as he spun his naginata in front of him. "Something you are completely devoid of as much as what is in your heart."

"And we are not alone." Jayce held her sword out.

"Because there's quite a few people you've managed to anger up here." Orik pointed to something behind Ganondorf.

Ganondorf did not realize it but behind him were several individuals who were either allies to those still alive in Hyrule, those who once played a part in important eras that he was a part of, or those he had killed personally. Yes, the knights who had fallen in this era were there, but so was Volvagia, members of the resistance from the era of Twilight, a village worth of Kokiri children, _Skull Kid_ of all people, Head master Gaepora and Marni in their prime, Queen Rutela, and any one else you can possibly imagine but there was one in particular who was very happy to _finally_ have this moment.

"After what you did to me and royally screwing the timeline up," Ivan grinned as he cracked his knuckles together "I am going to enjoy tormenting you."

"Oh for Goddesses' sake." Ganondorf groaned before the souls rushed in and began to attack. I can not describe it as my words alone would not do justice for this long awaited moment, but I can reassure you that it was a glorious sight to behold. It would be best left to your imagination.

"Yeah, really can't help you right now, G-man!" Din yelled from within the prison that she and the other two Goddesses were trapped inside and which was hanging right above the battle, along with those who were providing the torture.

"I am glad I heard about this song when I did." HolyMaiden24 smiled as "We are Number One" from _Lazy Town_ came to an end on the torture device she was using.

"Eh, I should let someone else have a turn." HolyMaiden24 turned to a certain young man with a grin. "Hey, you remember this guy? Silver from The Holy maiden war, I believe? Owned by Phantom4700?"

"You don't mean-!" Din gasped in surprise.

"That's right!" Silver grinned. "It's payback time for what you did to me in that fan fic!" He pulled out a cd and asked in a very innocent tone. "See I didn't exactly _**let it go**_." His face screwed up in pain in trying to say those exact words. "So how about you guys come with me to a certain place called the Aperture Science Computer Aided Enrichment Center, where a certain lady can have some fun with you while I get to play the Nyan cat theme for as long as I like?"

"NOOOOOO!" Screamed the three in a perfect chorus.

"GO GET EM'!" Silver yelled and a humongous Diababa suddenly appeared out of nowhere and swallowed up the prison.

 **-APERTURE SCIENCE–**

"What the bloody hell?!" A mechanical sphere on a rail and a woman with a strange white device in her hands stared in surprise as the Diababa spat out the prison onto the ground. "Has a plant evolved into something that massive?!" The sphere asked.

" _This is going to be glorious!"_ Silver chuckled as he patted the Diababa's side.

 **-Back in Hyrule's equivalent of heaven or whatever the reader believes in-**

"YEAYYYYYYH!" Lexi maniacally laughed as she repeatedly smashed her boomerang over Ganondorf's skull. She wasn't dead, but she still wanted to join in on the 'fun.'

"All's well that ends well." Darkrai sighed in relief as he turned to a cute Litten that was perched on his shoulder. "And I made a friend during the hiatus and she's quite the charmer." He admitted as he lightly petted the tiny fire cat Pokemon, who purred in delight.

("You're a pretty neat guy yourself.") Litten complimented back to him. ("I can't wait to go on some dimension hopping adventures with you.")

"You do understand that I cause nightmares to others whether I want to or not?"

("Hah, I eat nightmares for breakfast! And once I get to my final evolution, I'll pound them in the face!")

"Hey, do you guys think I should summon my readers up here to commence 'Operation: Thank you the sequel edition?'" HolyMaiden24 asked. "I'm pretty sure some of them want to beat up Ganondorf too."

" _Go for it."_ Darkrai's voice took on a sinister tone as he encouraged the writer. She grinned and pulled out her laptop. _"Alrighty then."_ She let out a grin that would make the Happy Mask Salesman smile with pride.

The Pokemons and the human all laughed manically as the Goddesses and Ganondorf suffered in their own unique punishments which were about to get much worse.

* * *

 **There was going to be a scene where Link had Sidian break his arm and leg again so the bones could be healed by magic properly. It was not going to be pleasant but thankfully this did not have to happen (for a number of reasons).**

 **Silver belongs to Phantom 4700 (or PokemonTrainer4700 as you were known as back then?), a lot of those songs belong to their respective owners, and Aperture Center belongs to Portal.**

 **Well...**

 **We have one last chapter to go, don't we? I don't know how long it will take, but I will make it the grande finale you guys deserve, with all characters (even those who had to say good-bye and go back to their eras) getting their final send offs.**

 **Whatever happens in the last chapter, know that there will still be a good ending. I owe you and the characters that much.**


	25. The legacy of Hyrule

HolyMaiden24 yawned as the fighting still ensued down below her. "Man, I can't believe this is the last chapter. I spent quite a long time on it, didn't I?" She turned to Darkrai and his Litten companion. "Well, I better end this in a few minutes."

"You won't be joining in?" Darkrai asked.

"Nah, I had my fill." HolyMaiden24 shook her head. "And besides, ever since I saw Disney's _Moana_ , I really want to introduce Ghirahim to a certain giant shiny crab monster. So yeah, I need to get on that at some point." She waved as she typed something on her laptop. "See ya some other time!"

"Farewell, my friend." Darkrai waved goodbye to the writer, who waved back, right before she completely vanished away.

* * *

 **It took me a little more than two weeks to beat story mode of Hyrule Warriors while it took me more than a year to write this insane fan fic. So much has happened to me between that time and I wish that I could share it all to you. Sadly I still have yet to fulfill my dream of being an actual author, but should I publish a Zelda one shot that mentions that I am on kickstarter or on inkshares, than you'll know I'm ready to try crowd funding my book again. That is my big goal for 2017.**

 **Its been one heck of a journey and I can't believe its finally over. Did I even spend all this time that wisely? Did I help make someone's life for the better by writing this thing out? A lot of you have been entertained by this fan fic and maybe I made you cry or even laugh. A lot of you have even followed me since day one.**

 **I don't know if I'll ever do another Zelda fan fic (at least another role swap fan fic) again for a really long time. I've been doing them for almost three years and I want to try to focus on other things for awhile. Granted, if I do another fic then I think I want to stay away from these larger fan fics. I've had so many ideas for other (SHORTER) fan fics for Undertale, Moana, and even Zelda. Heck I have this idea for an epic Disney crossover fan fic AU that focuses on several characters (From oldies like films from the Disney Renaissance and new ones like Moana and Tangled) but that would mean it would be a LOT like writing this one all over again and it isn't fully planned out at this time.**

 **In addition to issues of motivation, creativity, etc. There is also the issue of how much interest from others for something I make** _ **actually**_ **make the idea worthwhile enough to keep doing it. It's every writer's dilemma and I LOVE writing and drawing fan art but its not fun (or makes all the work seem worth it) if not a lot of people are into it or show that they like it.**

 **It is NOT going to make me shun my passions all together. I will not give up my dreams to do something amazing that is entirely my own, rather than a fan fic for something else. I do not want my complaints to discourage you in any way either as I would be a horrible person if I did. You guys are amazing in your own ways. :)**

 **Well, before we finish, let me respond to these final reviews...**

* * *

 **HeroAlexa249: I don't know the number either, but I imagine it was a lot. :D I wanted a bunch of people to help out Zelda in the finale and especially those who may not have been as important as the original group of warriors. Plus I do think that all of them have been a hero in some way, even if it meant a personal sacrifice. Thank you for sticking with this story from the very beginning and hey, if you ever want to write a fan fic on Geode x Ruto, I give you my blessings. I'm sorry it didn't work out in the end for them, due to timelines and all, but maybe in another life they could get a chance. Plus they were among the less prominent couples that were pretty adorable. :)**

 **The Unplanner: Ha ha, I hope I don't drown in those accolades but I bet they are all amazing! And while I did want Zelda to fully acknowledge the Master Sword's identity this time around, it just felt more epic to do so in her final battle with Ganon. She may not have had a traumatic or sad life before this war, but she had to grow up in her own way and become a tie to both past and present.**

 **I think I need to stop the fight pretty soon. And I'm not super familiar with Sword Art Online so I don't know if–**

 ***BOOM***

"WTF?!" HolyMaiden24's head popped out of a wormhole to see a warrior break through one of the fourth walls. They appeared to be screaming with joy as they were quickly approaching Ganon with a weapon in hand.

"Ok, ok, but I really need to end this fan fic!" She pleaded before closing the wormhole back up.

 _-_ **Anyway, thanks for reading this fan fic from start to finish. Your words of humor are amazing. :) And I am FILLED. WITH. DETERMINATION! *punches through a diamond rock wall and regrets it a second later.* AND THERE BETTER BE A MIX OF THOSE TWO SONGS! OW SONOFAGUNMYHAND! *screams in pain***

* * *

 **And now we have come to an end.**

 **Thank you so much for reading this from start to finish. Wherever you are, I would like to hug you and personally thank you.**

 **I love you all and know, my dear reader, that someone out there appreciates your patience, curiosity, and determination to stick with this story all the way to the very end. May good fortune come your way and remember that, no matter how much things change within the world of Zelda or its fan fics, that the way of the hero leads to the Triforce.**

 **I love you. Thank you. Remember that all happy endings are created by our own choices and actions. And farewell until next time, whenever that may be.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25: The legacy of Hyrule**

Trouble was brewing within the temple that housed the Master Sword's pedestal. A dark, sinister smoke was spewing out of the pedestal and there was no telling what would happen or what would come out of the pedestal.

Zelda and Link stared at the smoke while Proxy flew over their heads. This was not something any of them wished they could see and they were concerned as to what would happen if this continued.

"If Ganondorf had a soul fragment trapped here, then maybe there is a small amount trying to manifest itself." Link rationalized. "But if its only a soul fragment, then the Master Sword should be able to destroy it."

"But there's still a chance that I will only seal the soul away." Zelda lifted the Master Sword up and stared at the blade, which was still coated in Ganondorf's blood. "I don't want that."

"You are far stronger than Ganondorf and if the Master Sword can be the weapon to defeat him, then you should try to have a little more faith." Link smiled. "And someone will be ready to stop him in the future if he does get sealed away. We'll just prepare them for when that time must come and we will do a better job of it than our ancestors did."

Zelda continued to stare at the blade and wiped the blood off the yellow jewel and the green and pink details around it. She then pressed the guard to her forehead and savored the touch for one final time.

"I don't know what will happen to you if the curse breaks, Ghirahim." She whispered to the sword. "But no matter what happens, I will always cherish you from the depth of my heart. Thank you for your sacrifice and may you finally be granted the freedom you were owed so long ago." She sighed and kissed the jewel. "Good-bye."

She then lowered the blade and approached the pedestal and the smoke that continued to spew out. As soon as she got close enough, she raised the Master Sword skyward for one final time, allowing the sun to reflect off the blade that wasn't covered in blood so that he could shine in all his splendor.

With one deep breath, Zelda tightened her hold and thrusted the Master Sword into the pedestal.

A yellow light bursted from the pedestal, along with a burst of smoke. Almost immediately Zelda could feel something trying to force the Master Sword away from his resting place. Zelda grunted and tried to force the Master Sword back down, but whatever was in the pedestal did not want him to go back in.

"NNGH!" Zelda struggled to push. Link realized what was happening and immediately ran to her aid. He put one reassuring hand on her shoulder for a quick second before grabbing her arm and placing his hand on the Master Sword's guard. This burden would not have to be done alone. Not anymore.

The light began to flare out as a monstrous voice yelled out from the pedestal.

" **nO! I rEfUSe tO die! I wiLL nOT! So LoNG aS yOu bOtH liVE, I wiLL alWAYS bE iMMortAL!"**

"ZELDA!" Proxy screamed and flew to Link and Zelda, but a gold ring exploded outward and forced him to stop and shut his eyes. When he opened them, he saw something he was not expecting.

The darkness had grown into the size of a dark figure whose features could not be made out, save for a pair of red and yellow eyes filled with pure hatred. Yet keeping the Master Sword pinned down into this figure as best as they could were two figures that replaced Link and Zelda. One was a very familiar woman in white with long golden hair and white eyes and beside her was a warrior in magnificent looking armor and who also had white eyes. Both of them seemed to be almost god-like as if they came from a time long before Hyrule's creation.

" **hYliA!"** The voice snarled. **"yOu ThINK yOU aND yoUR chAMpION cAN sTiLL deFEAt My CUrSE?!"**

" _ **Your downside to your curse is to never have true happiness."**_ The warrior's voice echoed out in an ethereal tone.

" _ **Such is the fate of those filled with too much hatred within their hearts."**_ The graceful deity and Hylia's beloved champion spoke out in a voice that was as if many were speaking out at once.

" **NOOOOOooooOOOO!"** The dark voice screamed as the ethereal couple of Hylia and his champion continued to hold down the sword. Proxy was worried as to what was happening, but he knew that this struggle was causing something to both Link and Zelda.

Another ring of light flashed and this time the couple was replaced with two young children–a boy in green and a girl in pink. Both their eyes showed a maturity far beyond their years, yet the determination was still familiar to Proxy. The girl grunted as she screwed her eyes up and tried her hardest to push the sword down. "He's not going to stop!"

"You can do it Zelda!" The boy encouraged her. "We can still beat him at his game!"

Another ring flashed and both children became young teenagers. The girl was covered in injuries, with a very noticeable burn on her leg, while a familiar mirror was attached to the young man's belt.

The girl opened her eyes and glanced at the young man. "Time and time again, we always will!" She agreed with a determined smile.

"Yeah!" The young man smiled and suddenly his image flashed and he turned into a dark counterpart garbed in black with dark hair and familiar red eyes. "No matter how much changes, Princess!" He added and a second later his image flashed back to the other young man.

" **YoU cAnT StOp THis!"** The dark voice screamed. **"I rEfUse To diE fOrEvEr!"**

The young woman scowled and another flash of light happened, followed by what sounded like a wolf's howl. Another young woman and young man took the couple's place, but the young man appeared more dignified than the previous one, while the young woman had more mature features than her predecessor did. The dark figure began to push up against the sword and the two were trying to keep their hold as much as possible.

"If you are are listening, then help us!" The young man yelled at the sword. "Don't just be useless!"

The woman let out a yell. "I know you are in there, so help us out, you narcissist! Give us your strength!"

" **I WiLL AlwAyS LIve oN!"**

The Master Sword flashed with yellow and another ring bursted through. Now a very sunny looking young woman was struggling to keep the sword down, while her companion wore amour similar to that of Hylia's.

"And so will we!" The young man yelled back as the sword slammed back down into the dark figure, who let out a yell.

"We always will!" The young woman yelled in agreement.

Another flash, and this time the two returned back to being the Zelda and Link of this era.

"It doesn't matter what era or what timeline we are on." Link yelled before his appearance flashed to that of Shadow's. "We fight for Hyrule!" Shadow yelled before returning back to Link.

"And for our future!" Zelda yelled. With one final push, the dark figure exploded along with the golden light within the pedestal and the final struggle ended for good.

Silence filled the area as Zelda and Link still kept their hold on the Sword, not daring to let go until they were convinced that it was really over. Then, in a perfect unison, they let go of the Master Sword together.

Zelda only briefly shared a cautious look with Link before she stared at the Master Sword and waited to see what would happen. The blade's light gradually dulled down until she heard a strange clicking sound and a small spark of magic flashed around the yellow jewel. Confused as to what happened, Zelda moved in closer and saw that something vanished from the guard. Where was the entwined pink and green metal details around the diamond?

She heard Link gasp and she turned to see him looking at her hand. She looked down and saw that two ribbons–one pink and one green–were now tied around her wrist. She tried to recall where she saw those ribbons before when she remembered; The first time she was here, the Ghirahim in the Master Sword wore those exact same ribbons when he talked with her.

Something deep inside her resonated to this with horror and she looked back at the Master Sword in time to see the yellow jewel brighten up for one moment before it cracked and shattered to pieces.

Zelda gasped as she desperately reached out but she knew it was too late. Right after the diamond had shattered, the blade slowly began to rust away before her very eyes. Ugly splotches of brown and gray formed upon the surface of the blade and even the edges began to take on a rough, uneven and jagged look.

"No, no, no–please no." Zelda begged, but there was nothing more that she could have done. In fact, she should have seen this coming the moment she made her decision to stop the curse. Without the curse, there was no more Ganondorf, which in turn would mean no more future incarnations of the hero. And if that were the case, then the Master Sword no longer had a purpose in this world as his duty was now fulfilled.

It wasn't fair, she thought as she shut her eyes and felt the tears come. Why did one more person have to die to secure their world's peace? She felt Link's hand brush against her own and she took it. His comfort was a welcoming feeling and eased this pain somewhat.

" _Well done, Mistress."_

She opened her eyes to see Ghirahim stand before her and Link. There seemed to be an odd light around him and smile he gave her was one of pride as he shared one small look with her for a few moments.

"Ghirahim." Zelda almost whispered.

" _You were finally able to accomplish what was hoped for so many years ago."_ Ghirahim's his voice came out in a strange echo without him even moving his mouth. _"I couldn't be more prouder of you than I already am."_

" _Take care, Link."_ He turned to Link. " _You have a future that you must protect."_ The young man nodded and his grip around Zelda's hand firmed up a little, but not to the point that it would be painful. _"You will be a great king one day."_ Ghirahim smiled at the young man.

He then turned around to face a small orb of light and standing right in front of it was none other than Ivan, who also seemed to have a strange light around him.

The Hylian sized version of the former fairy companion smiled at Link and Zelda and he waved at them as Ghirahim walked towards him. Ivan held his hand out, which Ghirahim accepted, but he turned around to face Zelda one last time as a strange humming came from the light. _"Farewell, my beloved Zelda."_

The two turned to face the light, which then flared up and engulfed them. As soon as the light covered them to the point that you could not distinguish their features, the light faded and they both vanished from sight while the humming died away.

"Thank you for always being there for me." Zelda whispered with a smile as the tears fell down her cheeks.

 **-Some time later-**

All of Hyrule celebrated the victory over Ganondorf and they celebrated their heroes in their respective regions. The knights in Hyrule were treated to festivities in the town and while some like Karane, Pipit, and Groose drank their fill of wine, others like Kay and Rosette, or Sir Winslow and his family reunited and that was all that they wanted. Even Ashei was able to have a laugh with Impa over the fun.

Some though, still had to face the tragedy of loss. Zelda approached little Isobel, who was being comforted by her grandmother when she learned that her mother died in battle. It broke Zelda's heart to see the child cry and she summoned all her courage to present a golden medal that bore emeralds in the shape of the Triforce, and a green ribbon attached to it.

"This is the medal of the Juror of Courage." Zelda told Isobel. "It goes to those who performed a great feat despite how dangerous the situation was or in the face of death. Your mother died protecting me because she fought to give you a happy future."

As the child calmed down at the mention of her mother being honored, Zelda smiled. "She told me to tell you that and that she loves you, no matter what path you will chose in your life. And she will always watch over you when she needs you the most." She then put the medal around Isobel's neck. "Your mother was the true hero in that battle, no matter what will be said. I will not let her sacrifice be in vain."

Zelda soon attended a funeral in Gerudo Desert where she accompanied Saria to say one last good-bye to another brave warrior.

The night sky was illuminated by stars and torches around a funeral pyre where several Gerudo were gathered. Zelda stood by Saria's side as the girl cried for the loss of her companion and the older girl placed an arm around her shoulder.

Young Elija approached the funeral pyre with a torch in his hand while he struggled to not cry. Upon the funeral pyre was the body of Nabooru, who bore a smile that was both peaceful and yet defiant even in death itself. The young boy took a deep breath and then tossed the torch onto the pyre. Gradually the Gerudo tossed their torches onto the pyre and even Zelda and Saria tossed their own so that the flames could grow and help give Nabooru the proper funeral rites that she deserved.

"May the spirits carry you across the sands of the afterlife." Elija murmured as the flames became a brilliant orange, like those of the medallion that represented the Sage of Spirit. In the distance, the long, mournful caw of the Helmaroc King could be heard as it joined in the final send off for his old friend.

Elsewhere, Geode sent a final prayer to Orik and his fallen brethren, alongside the rest of the Goron tribe.

"I doubt I will ever be as great as you, brother, but I will be someone that you can be proud of." He buried a single stone into the earth. "I hope that Darunia and Ruto are providing you with good company, wherever you are. Actually, I spoke with Princess Coralie at Queen Ruto's grave and I expressed a desire to strengthen our relationships through an alliance with the Zoras so that we can be powerful allies in times of war." He smiled. "I think Darunia and Ruto would have approved."

In another area, Impa presented Koji's naginata to his father and sisters. As Koji's sisters wept over the loss of their brother, his father could only nod as he struggled not to cry himself. "Thank you, my Lady." He thanked her.

"Your son was a true Sheikah to the very end." Impa smiled back. "And we thank him for his aid in saving Hyrule."

 **-Much later on-**

"Master Liam, he's awake!" A young voice cried out.

"Stay back." A familiar voice cautioned. "We don't know what will happen."

Slowly he began to regain consciousness as the darkness faded to make way for colors that shifted into more defined shapes. Gradually he could make out a series of young children of various ages and races. A young Sheikah boy stood by a male Goron while a tiny Zora girl peaked out from behind him in fear. A Gerudo stood her ground while a young Hylian boy held her hand as a little Deku scrub clutched a book to his chest. All of them wore a variation of the same robes that an apprentice sorcerer or sorceress would wear during training, yet the insignias all marked them as apprentices to a Guardian of Time.

Then a very familiar young man with blue hair appeared in front of them with a beaming smile on his face. He was fully dressed in the robes that signified that he was the Guardian of Time and yet his youthful demeanor made him look less regal than he should have been.

"Welcome back, Ceiya." Liam greeted.

Then it all came back to him. Everything that he had done, the reason why he died–

"Liam?!" Ceiya gasped as he shot up from the alter. "But–but how? I should be dead?"

"I had some help with the Triforce and Princess Aryll." Liam confessed. "Also, you are only one half of a soul, so you couldn't go into the afterlife without me, which made it easier to locate your soul."

"But...why?!" Ceiya demanded. "After all that I have done?! I–"

"You deserve a second chance." Liam began as he placed a hand to his chest. "I gave you a piece of my share of our soul, so that you can be balanced out somewhat."

"We kind of insisted upon it." The Deku scrub added. "Master Liam was so alone when he was whole, and even though he made us all his apprentices, we wanted him to be happy."

"Why–" Ceiya glanced around. "Why so many apprentices?"

"This duty is a lonely one and it should not be compromised by one person's desire." Liam said. "In fact, I want this duty to be shared by those who can use its position for good. That is why I wanted to place it in the hands of children who will not be tempted."

"No one deserves to be alone." The Zora girl pipped in as she stepped out from behind the Goron.

"Let us bring Hyrule into an age of prosperity and preserve the past." Liam held his hand out to Ceiya. "I'll answer all the questions you are seeking."

"And you trust that I won't try to take over Hyrule?" Ceiya asked as he felt like a scared child once again.

"I don't know for sure, but I want to help you realize that there is more to life besides glory." Liam smiled. "I know that many before us have lived their lives believing this as well."

"And we will help you!" The young Hylian boy beamed.

 **-Era of the Hero of Time-**

All the Gorons and Zoras were wondering where on earth Ruto and Darunia had gone, but they did not have to wait for too long as both of them came rushing over to them.

"Father!" Ruto yelled with joy as she tackled the old king and gave him a hug as best as she could manage around his wide frame. "Oh father, I love you so much!"

"Daughter?!" The king asked in confusion.

"Son!" Darunia laughed as he picked his young son up and span him around. "Boy, do I have a story to share with you!"

 **-Era of the Hero of Twilight-**

Agitha smiled as the memories of her friends proved to be stubborn, for they did not go away this time. Yet she knew that she would keep it a secret to the grave, for she knew that she didn't want to make Zelda sad.

She turned to see Colin pick up his sister and wave at a horse and two people who approached him. Agitha could not help but laugh when she saw two small cats in the arms of the young man beside the girl–the very same young man who was her king.

Zelda let out a chuckle at the sight, which Link accepted with a smile and a blush before setting the cats down on the ground were they hurried towards Colin and Faith.

"Hey Agitha!" Colin noticed Agitha and waved. "Come and join us!"

Agitha cried out in delight and skipped towards them. She turned her head to see the King of Hyrule kiss the Hero of Twilight upon her cheek, but she made no sign that she saw this. She didn't want to ruin the small privacy between the king and his future queen.

 **-The Twilight Era. Many years later-**

Many years after his experience with time traveling, the great King of the Twili stood by the cliffside that overlooked a great valley that was illuminated by the beauty of the eternal twilight.

"May your soul be at ease, Midna." He smiled as he closed his eyes. As if on cue, a chorus of wolves let out a haunting song and for one moment he was taken to the past where a familiar friend shared her adventures with him. He was brought back to the present as a high pitched cry tried to copy the wolves and he looked down to see a child with hair the color of fire red and dazzling gold arch her head up with her lips pursed in an attempt to get out the notes.

He smiled as the child tried her best and when the wolves ceased, she stopped and gave him a toothy grin as her yellow eyes sparkled in delight. "My, I suppose my little Zelda–Midna is now a wolf?" He asked in amusement.

"Yes, papa!" the child giggled as she held her arms out for him. Zant obeyed and picked her up. "You know I once knew a wolf as wonderful as you." He told her.

"You did?!"

"I'll tell you all about it, my little wolf." Zant smiled as he carried his daughter off. "And it all began with a very brave young woman in a world not so different from our own."

He would have chosen no other path than this one.

 **-Era of the Hero of the Sky-**

Link finished the spell upon Ghirahim, who felt the full force of it and found himself about ready to fall over. Link quickly caught the sword spirit in time and grabbed his arms before helping him regain his balance. The sword spirit grabbed onto Link's shoulders and was able to hoist himself back up before moving away from him.

Ghirahim took a deep breath and was able to manage a smile. "Thank you, Link." And he genuinely meant those words from the depths of his soul.

Link smiled back and nodded. "You're welcome, Ghirahim."

"Link?" A voice croaked out. The young man turned to see that Zelda had awoken and his smile only widened as he hurried to embrace her in a hug.

Ghirahim could not tell Zelda what he learned of the future of the world that she fought to create. But he knew that the sacrifice he had just made would ensure that she would never lose him so long as she needed his strength and his companionship. His love and devotion to his Mistress and her soul would always defy time, no matter how much they both would twist or turn.

 **-Present day-**

Bethany smiled as she finished putting the last image in the official album that she was to give to the Royal Family. It was difficult since her arm was still recovering from its injury, but she was able to manage. She signed her name within the scrapbook before adding one last message. _'Let the people of Hyrule see this. They cannot forget those who gave their lives or the allies who came when we needed them the most.'_

She then shut the scrapbook and carefully put it in a specialized bag before getting up from her bench and began her journey to the castle.

 **-Hyrule Castle-**

"Your Majesty," Bethany held the book out to King Alfon, who graciously accepted it while Impa and Vaati watched on. Even some like Linebeck were lucky to catch this little moment in the nick of time and the sailor couldn't help but smile.

"You will greatly paid for what you have done." Alfon told the young woman, who merely shook her head. "If you read my message and fulfill my wish, then that would be enough of a reward for me, my king." She turned to Impa. "I am sure that Zelda and Link will want to see them."

"I'm afraid they are already beginning their journey." Impa smiled. "Perhaps the album will make a nice welcoming gift when they return."

"Good for them." Bethany smiled. "And the princess?" She turned to Vaati.

"She is off to continue her training and improve relations with other kingdoms like Zelda and Link." He smiled. "Their story does not simply end with saving all of Hyrule. Our stories continue even after our greatest accomplishments."

 **-Hyrule Field-**

The landscape had returned to its true beauty. The skies were once more varying shades of blue, the earth green and fertile, and the rivers were filled with crystal clear water. Even the grand Hyrule castle and its town had been restored to their true appearance.

"Are you sure you do not want to join me?" Zelda asked Proxy. The young woman had exchanged the elegant battle attire for something more practical, yet comfortable to wear for traveling. However, she still wore the brooch, which was attached to a simple metal chain and the pink and green ribbons that were entwined together around her neck. This new necklace was a reminder to herself of who she was and where she had come from, as well as those who could not be forgotten.

"That's alright, Zelda." Proxy reassured her. "The Great Fairy is back to her old self and all of Hyrule is safe, but I want to keep helping out however I can. I would like to join Princess Aryll for her journey and help her and besides," Zelda could detect a smirk in his voice "I'm sure you want to be alone with Link, right?"

Zelda blushed but she was able to smile. "Heh heh. Well my friend, promise me that we will meet again at some point in the future. I will never forget the time we spent together."

"Neither will I!" Proxy cheerfully replied as he flew to Aryll, who shared one final parting hug with her brother. "Later Zelda!"

"No matter what happens, remember that you are Aryll, the girl who refused to back down and who loves her people." Link reminded Aryll. "I'm proud to be your brother."

"And I'm proud to be your sister!" Aryll beamed as she parted from Link.

Aryll turned to Zelda and waved goodbye as she headed towards Volga, who was in his dragon form. "Bye Zelda!" She grinned as Proxy flew beside her. Volga carefully picked up the girl and placed her upon his back but even as he began to flap his wings, Aryll still waved farewell to them all.

"See you later!" Aryll hollered as Proxy held onto her hair. Within seconds, Volga took to the sky and flew off into an opposing direction. One could hear a certain cawing sound and you could see the Helmaroc King flying towards the dragon. One would guess that perhaps Saria had taken young Elija with her so that they too could journey and improve their knowledge to better their respective homelands.

"She'll be ok." Zelda reassured Link as she approached him.

"I know she will." Link smiled back. He turned to look at Epona and another horse similar in color but with a black mane and both were ready with traveling equipment. "And now I believe it is time for my reward to you." He gestured out towards them. "A chance to go out and adventure beyond Hyrule."

Realizing only now that one of her dreams was about to come true, Zelda let out a breathless laugh and hugged Link, who returned to gesture.

"If this had to be the end of a story, I wouldn't want it any other way." Zelda told Link.

"Mmm, not yet." Link slightly pulled away but he gently cupped Zelda's chin. "One more thing has to be done, Princess." He told her.

"Oh you." Zelda laughed as she drew in and kissed Link on the lips. The young man's mouth turned into a mischievous smile before returning the kiss.

It wasn't long before both Link and Zelda were upon the two horses, with Zelda ridding Epona. She let out a big grin and laughed as the wind blew through her hair while Epona galloped across the fields of Hyrule.

 _My name is Zelda and I am from along line of heroes. I am proud to be part of a great heritage and a wondrous kingdom. I can never forget the sacrifices made or the faces of the past from my great journey. I have been shaped by hardship, but I have also chosen to follow a path of hope and determination._

 _One part of my story has ended and another begins. I will never stop writing it out for as long as I live. Each person I have met has played a part and other stories have helped to enrich my life for the better._

"You think I can beat you?!" Zelda asked Link.

"Ten rupees says I'll get there first!" He yelled back.

"Twenty rupees _and_ you have to pay my tab says I'll get there first!" Zelda cried out and kicked Epona to make her go.

"You're on!" Link grinned as he kicked his horse to get him to catch up to Epona.

The two young souls–no longer bound by destiny but free to choose their own pathway with what life had given them–raced towards nothing but the blue sky, the green fields, the roaring winds, and the beautiful promise of tomorrow.

 _If you are reading this, then you have followed a major part of my story from start to finish. It doesn't matter if this is my one life or if there are many more among many timelines. I am going to live my life to the fullest and I hope you will try to do the same._

 _It doesn't matter who you are or what is happening in your life. I hope that you will work towards making your own story a good one. Whether you are a humble merchant, a member of royalty, a villager, or a hero, I want you to use what courage, power, and wisdom you have to make your life a good one. If its impossible to completely follow your dreams, than remember what you do have and make the most of it because you never know who will need you in their darkest hour._

 _And remember that if you can have that balance of those three virtues in your heart, your way will lead to the Triforce and so many other wonderful things in life that you might not expect._

* * *

 _ **-The end-**_

 _ **-Thank you for reading-**_

 _ **-With all my love and may your way lead to the Triforce-**_

 _ **-HolyMaiden24-**_


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